When Alice heard of her cousin's success, and understood that he was actually Member of Parliament for the Chelsea Districts, she resolved that she would be triumphant. She had sacrificed nearly everything to her desire for his success in public life, and now that he had achieved the first great step towards that success, it would have been madness on her part to decline her share in the ovation. If she could not rejoice in that, what source of joy would then be left for her? She had promised to be his wife, and at present she was under the bonds of that promise. She had so promised because she had desired to identify her interests with his,--because she wished to share his risks, to assist his struggles, and to aid him in his public career. She had done all this, and he had been successful. She strove, therefore, to be triumphant on his behalf, but she knew that she was striving ineffectually. She had made a mistake, and the days were coming in which she would have to own to herself that she had done so in sackcloth, and to repent with ashes.

When Alice heard of her cousin's success, she resolved that she would be triumphant. She had sacrificed nearly everything to this aim, and now he had achieved the first great step. If she could not rejoice in that, what source of joy would be left for her? She had promised to be his wife because she wished to assist his struggles, and to aid him in his public career. She strove, therefore, to be triumphant, but she knew that she was striving in vain. She had made a mistake, and the days were coming in which she would have admit it to herself, and to repent.
