CHAPTER IV.

astheeldestdaughter,towardwhomhermammahadalwaysbeeninanapologeticstateofmindfortheevilsbroughtonherbyastep-father,mayseemsofullareasonforGwendolen’sdomesticempire,thattolookforanyotherwouldbetoaskthereasonofdaylightwhenthesunisshining.Butbewareofarrivingatconclusionswithoutcomparison.Irememberhavingseenthesameassiduous,apologeticattentionawardedtopersonswhowerenotatallbeautifulorunusual,whosefirmnessshoweditselfinnoverygracefuloreuphoniousway,andwhowerenoteldestdaughterswithatender,timidmother,compunctiousathavingsubjectedthemtoinconveniences.Someofthemwereaverycommonsortofmen.Andtheonlypointofresemblanceamongthemallwasastrongdeterminationtohavewhatwaspleasant,withatotalfearlessnessinmakingthemselvesdisagreeableordangerouswhentheydidnotgetit.Whoissomuchcajoledandservedwithtremblingbytheweakfemalesofahouseholdastheunscrupulousmale—capable,ifhehasnotfreewayathome,ofgoinganddoingworseelsewhere?HenceIamforcedtodoubtwhetherevenwithoutherpotentcharmandpeculiarfilialpositionGwendolenmightnotstillhaveplayedthequeeninexile,ifonlyshehadkeptherinbornenergyofegoisticdesire,andherpowerofinspiringfearastowhatshemightsayordo.However,shehadthecharm,andthosewhofearedherwerealsofondofherthefearandthefondnessbeingperhapsbothheightenedbywhatmaybecalledtheiridescenceofhercharacter—theplayofvarious,nay,contrarytendencies.ForMacbeth’srhetoricabouttheimpossibilityofbeingmanyoppositethingsinthesamemoment,referredtotheclumsynecessitiesofactionandnottothesubtlerpossibilitiesoffeeling.Wecannotspeakaloyalwordandbemeanlysilentwecannotkillandnotkillinthesamemomentbutamomentiswideenoughfortheloyalandmeandesire,fortheoutlashofamurderousthoughtandthesharpbackwardstrokeofrepentance.