Last words of Thomas Carlyle - Warburg Institute

WOTTON REINFRED 141he insinuated himself into tolerance, nay, ere longinto highest favour. By what new arts he hadeffected this I knew not, but so it was, for the twowere evidently on the most trustful footing ; they hadprivate interviews, the purport of which I did notlearn ; only I could see by abundant symptoms thatsecrets were between them—secrets of what theyreckoned weighty import, and from which it seemed Iwas to be carefully shut out.*This mystery surprised and sometimes alarmedme ; I hate mystery at all times, and in the presentcase I had signs that it concerned myself. My aunthad now changed her dialect with regard to Walter ;she no longer spoke of him with bitterness, butzealously, with affection, nay, with admiration. Shedaily introduced the topic ; asked my opinion of thisand that feature in his character ; defended himwhere I disliked, and warmly confirmed my judgmentwhen it was favourable. She descanted at large onhis looks, his talent, his manliness of mind ; thepolished strength, the elegance, the perfect noblenessof his whole bearing—in short, whatever quality sheknew me to approve of, with that in full measure shestrove to invest him. I had much to object ; I failednot to point out in contrast her own prior view ofhim. She owned that she had been mistaken ; afair outside was not always a false one ; she understoodtliis man better than I and could answer forhis integrity, nay, more, for his intentions towards