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Chapter 16
ButCoraMunroisamaidentoodiscreet,andofamindtooelevatedandimproved,toneedtheguardianshipevenofafather."
"Cora!"
"Ay—Cora!wearetalkingofyourpretensionstoMissMunro,arewenot,sir?"
"I—I—Iwasnotconsciousofhavingmentionedhername,"saidDuncan,stammering.
"Andtomarrywhom,then,didyouwishmyconsent,MajorHeyward?"demandedtheoldsoldier,erectinghimselfinthedignityofoffendedfeeling.
"Youhaveanother,andnotlesslovelychild."
"Alice!"exclaimedthefather,inanastonishmentequaltothatwithwhichDuncanhadjustrepeatedthenameofhersister.
"Suchwasthedirectionofmywishes,sir."
Theyoungmanawaitedinsilencetheresultoftheextraordinaryeffectproducedbyacommunicationwhich,asitnowappeared,wassounexpected.ForseveralminutesMunropacedthechamberwithlongandrapidstrides,hisrigidfeaturesworkingconvulsively,andeveryfacultyseeminglyabsorbedinthemusingsofhisownmind.Atlength,hepauseddirectlyinfrontofHeyward,andrivetinghiseyesuponthoseoftheother,hesaid,withalipthatquiveredviolently—
"DuncanHeyward,Ihavelovedyouforthesakeofhimwhosebloodisinyourveins;Ihavelovedyouforyourowngoodqualities;andIhavelovedyou,becauseIthoughtyouwouldcontributetothehappinessofmychild.Butallthislovewouldturntohatred,wereIassuredthatwhatIsomuchapprehendistrue."