The trial Author:Charlotte Mary Yonge Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER III. "Scorn of me recoils on you." E. B. Browning. After the first relief, the relaxation of his brother's sentence had by no means mitigated He... more »nry Ward's sense of disgrace, but had rather deepened it by keeping poor Leonard a living, not a dead, sorrow. He was determined to leave England as soon as possible, that his sisters might never feel that they were the relatives of a convict; and bringing Ella home, he promulgated a decree that Leonard was never to be mentioned ; hoping that his existence might be forgotten by the little ones. To hurry from old scenes, and sever former connexions, was his sole thought, as if he could thus break the tie of brotherhood. There was a half-formed link that had more easily snapped. His courtship had been one of prudence and convenience, and in the overwhelming period of horror and suspense had been almost forgotten. The lady's attempts at sympathy had been rejected by Averil without obstruction from him, for he had no such love as could have prevented her good offices from becoming oppressive to his wounded spirit, and he had not sufficient energy or inclination to rouse himself to a response. And when the grant of life enabled him to raise his head and look around him, he felt the failure of his plans an aggravation of his calamity, though he did not perceive that his impatience to rid himself of an encumbrance, and clear the way for his marriage, had been the real origin of the misfortune. Still he was glad that matters had gone no further, and that there was no involvement beyond what could be handsomely disposed of by a letter, resigning his pretensions, and rejoicing that innate delicacy and prudence had prevented what might have involved the lady's feelings more deeply in the misfortune of his family: representin...« less