By this time her old disposition had begun to rouse again. She had
been doing her duty, and had in consequence begun again to think
herself Somebody. However strange it may well seem, to do one's duty
will make any one conceited who only does it sometimes. Those who do
it always would as soon think of being conceited of eating their
dinner as of doing their duty. What honest boy would pride himself
on not picking pockets? A thief who was trying to reform would. To
be conceited of doing one's duty is then a sign of how little one
does it, and how little one sees what a contemptible thing it is not
to do it. Could any but a low creature be conceited of not being
contemptible? Until our duty becomes to us common as breathing, we
are poor creatures.
So Agnes began to stroke herself once more, forgetting her late
self-stroking companion, and never reflecting that she was now doing
what she had then abhorred. And in this mood she went into the
picture-gallery.
The first picture she saw represented a square in a great city, one
side of which was occupied by a splendid marble palace, with great
flights of broad steps leading up to the door.
Pages:
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91