KENILWORTH - Penn State University

Kenilworthmust guide the counsels which alone can aid me.”“If you speak thus wildly,” said Tressilian, astonishment againoverpowering both his grief and his resolution, “I must believeyou indeed incapable of thinking or acting for yourself.”“Oh, no!” she exclaimed, sinking on one knee before him,“I am not mad—I am but a creature unutterably miserable,and, from circumstances the most singular, dragged on to aprecipice by the arm of him who thinks he is keeping mefrom it—even by yours, Tressilian—by yours, whom I havehonoured, respected—all but loved—and yet loved, too—loved, too, Tressilian—though not as you wished to be.”There was an energy, a self-possession, an abandonment inher voice and manner, a total resignation of herself to his generosity,which, together with the kindness of her expressionsto himself, moved him deeply. He raised her, and, in brokenaccents, entreated her to be comforted.“I cannot,” she said, “I will not be comforted, till you grantme my request! I will speak as plainly as I dare. I am nowawaiting the commands of one who has a right to issue them.The interference of a third person—of you in especial,Tressilian—will be ruin—utter ruin to me. Wait but fourand-twentyhours, and it may be that the poor Amy mayhave the means to show that she values, and can reward, yourdisinterested friendship—that she is happy herself, and hasthe means to make you so. It is surely worth your patience,for so short a space?”Tressilian paused, and weighing in his mind the various probabilitieswhich might render a violent interference on his partmore prejudicial than advantageous, both to the happinessand reputation of Amy; considering also that she was withinthe walls of Kenilworth, and could suffer no injury in a castlehonoured with the Queen’s residence, and filled with herguards and attendants—he conceived, upon the whole, thathe might render her more evil than good service by intrudingupon her his appeal to Elizabeth in her behalf. He expressedhis resolution cautiously, however, doubting naturally whetherAmy’s hopes of extricating herself from her difficulties restedon anything stronger than a blinded attachment to Varney,whom he supposed to be her seducer.“Amy,” he said, while he fixed his sad and expressive eyes onhers, which, in her ecstasy of doubt, terror, and perplexity,she cast up towards him, “I have ever remarked that when322