"
She shook her head incredulously, and replied, "You do not know the
inflexible determination of my father on this point; neither can I
conceive what documents you could place before him that would change his
purpose."
"I do not conceive that I am at liberty even to you, Lucy, to mention
circumstances that may cast a stain upon high integrity and spotless
innocence, so long as it is possible the proofs I speak of may fail.
In the latter case, so far at least as the world is concerned, justice
would degenerate into scandal, whilst great evil and little good must
be the consequence. I think I am bound in honor not to place old age,
venerable and virtuous, on the one hand, and unsuspecting innocence on
the other, in a contingency that may cause them irreparable injury. I
will now say, that if your happiness were not involved in the success
or failure of our proceedings, I should have ceased to be a party in the
steps we are taking until the grave had closed upon one individual at
least, while unconscious of the shame that was to fall upon his family.
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