Basil

Chapter 3

The morning which was to decide all between my father and me, the

morning on whose event hung the future of my home life, was the

brightest and loveliest that my eyes ever looked on. A cloudless sky,

a soft air, sunshine so joyous and dazzling that the commonest objects

looked beautiful in its light, seemed to be mocking at me for my heavy

heart, as I stood at my window, and thought of the hard duty to be

fulfilled, on the harder judgment that might be pronounced, before the

dawning of another day.

During the night, I had arranged no plan on which to conduct the

terrible disclosure which I was now bound to make--the greatness of

the emergency deprived me of all power of preparing myself for it. I

thought on my father's character, on the inbred principles of honour

which ruled h