Page:The Tenant of Wildfell Hall (emended first edition), Volume 2.djvu/87

Rh enjoying the choicer banquet of to-morrow. If, regardless of that counsel, you choose to make a beast of yourself now, and over-eat and over-drink yourself till you turn the good victuals into poison, who is to blame if, hereafter, while you are suffering the torments of yesterday's gluttony and drunkenness, you see more temperate men sitting down to enjoy themselves at that splendid entertainment which you are unable to taste?"

"Most true my patron saint; but again, our friend Solomon says,—'There is nothing better for a man than to eat and to drink, and to be merry."

"And again," returned I, "he says, 'Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart and in the sight of thine eyes; but know thou that, for all these things, God will bring thee into judgment.'"

"Well but, Helen, I'm sure I've been very good these last few weeks. What have you seen amiss in me; and what would you have me to do?"