Julia_Chapter_15

as he passed him a look of angry contempt--which the later returned with a contemptuous and haughty glance. In a moment Julia read what was passing in her husband's mind--what a discovery--his jealougy was at last excited--and perhaps added Julia his love is rekindles--but alas what now is his love to me! Alarmed however by the looks of defiance that were interchanged, she hastily bid Capt Mirvan goodnight, in a manner he dared not withstand, and bowing to her, without again looking at Clifton, he left the hall. Julia, then took a candle from the table, and coldly bidding her husband good night, likewise withdrew--He called after her, "Julia, Julia," but she hurried on, agitated by the discovery she had made. The wretched husband walked the hall, ruminating, bitterly ruminating on his own misconduct--his past happenings and present misery. "And for what," he said, "did I abandon my happy home; my lovely wife--for what? why, for the pursuit of pleasure. Pleasure indeed! Little pleasure have I found--alas, in the moments most excitement, most noise and revelty--the intoxicating draught was followed with loathing. Yet I still { ?} it, hoping in each new drought, to find more sweetness,--but still the dregs were bitter--Strange infatuation!--tho' dissatisfied and { ?} I still madly continued the pursuit of this ever promising, but ever deluding pleasure. Yes, I have followed it, night and day, through difficulty and danger, through meanness and fatigue--I have persued it with ardour, seized it with violence, indulged in it to excess--still it proved insufficient, and left me after every effort, as restless and dissatisfied as at the commencement--Oh had I expended one fourth of the time--the ardour, the energy on the pursuit of knowledge, or on the inspiration of that happiness which was once mine--I should now instead of being the veriest wretch in creation, have been a respectable man, a happy father and an enraptured husband!" Tormented by these unavailing regrets, he formed a thousand schemes, which he as quickly relinquished, one only, remaining firmly fixed in his mind--and that was at all risks to break with Capt Mirvan