guess—it was in proportion to every effort successfully made to disguise the suffering。 Painful it is to look back upon now—forgive me for whatever was expiated in the deepest of my heart。
…
Did you get my long letter from Paris？ and Trippy； my short note from Havre。 Ah； dear Trippy！ let her not think hardly of me。 No one can judge of this act； except some one who knows thoroughly the man I have married。 He rises on me hour by hour。 If ever a being of a higher order lived among us with a glory round his head； in these latter days； he is such a being。
Papa thinks that I have sold my soul—for genius… mere genius。 Which I might have done when I was younger； if I had had the opportunity… but am in no danger of doing now。 For my sake； for the love of me； from an infatuation which from first to last has astonished me； he has consented to occupy for a moment a questionable position。
But those who question most； will do him justice fullest—and we must wait a little with resignation。 In the meanwhile； what he is； and what he is to me； I would fain teach you。—Have faith in me to believe it。 He puts out all his great faculties to give me pleasure and fort…charms me into thinking of him when he sees my thoughts wandering… forces me to smile in spite of nil of them—if you had seen him that day at Orleans。
伊麗莎白·芭蕾特·勃朗寧致妹妹（4）
He laid me down on the bed and sat by me for hours； pouring out floods of tenderness and goodness； and promising to win b