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Consistent with this disposition, he was in the habit of concealing all painful circumstances as much as possible from his wife, and when from time to time she discovered them, he still insisted that she would keep them from her daughter, but as all parties were by nature little calculated for disguise, many things inevitably crept out which, without exciting any great alarm, yet drew the mind of Maria from subjects of elegant occupation to reflection of a painful nature, but which tended greatly to strengthen her mind, expand her views of existence, and above all, to lead her to religious exercise of thought and that faith which is the only certain support of the soul. Endued with acute feeling, a vivid imagination, ardent affections, a fine taste for all that is beautiful in nature and excellent in art, a contempt for all meanness, an utter abhorrence of vice, and freed by the peculiar circumstances in which her life had been spent, alike from the vulgar pride of wealth, and the less repulsive but equally strong prejudices which she imbibed from her birth, as the sole representative of two ancient families. There was in her character something romantic, independent, and almost eccentric so far as it was developed in conversation; but in her complete devotedness to her mother, her more than sisterly attachment to Ellen, her enthusiastic love of music, which amounted perhaps to a passion, those who associated with her saw only a most amiable and accomplished, as well as beautiful girl.