Explore "The Laurel Walk" by Mary Louisa Molesworth on Textopian. Read with annotations and highlights.
The storm had burst. Poor little Betty's half-superstitious misgivings, that in their case "the course of true love" was "running too smooth" to last, for her and Horace, seemed to have been prophetic. For, as Frances, with her experience of her father's peculiarities, had feared, once the idea had entered Mr Morion's mind (suggested in the first place negatively by Horace's non-allusion in his letter to his mother or his family) that but scanty welcome was to be accorded to his daughter, he mounted a very high horse indeed. He refused to entertain for an instant the idea of India for her; he went back upon the Littlewoods' shorter pedigree and deficient quarterings; he worked himself up to refuse his sanction to any engagement of any kind!
Horace, as his letter showed, was in despair. Betty was palely miserable, though between the two themselves the opposition but strengthened their trust and devotion. Frances suffered for both to an extent which really blotted out the sting of her own disillusionment more completely than she as yet realised.