The young men are brothers or friends
of companions, or they are employed in the same establishment,
or else reside in the neighborhood, so that usually something is
known of their characters and antecedents, and the desire to become
friendly is similar to that influencing the young people of country
neighborhoods. As a rule these young people have few opportunities
of meeting save in the streets and places of public resort. The
conditions of life in a great city, however, differ too widely from
those of a village or country town, where every one is well known
and public opinion is quick and powerful in its restraints. Social
circles are too loosely organized in a city; their members from
necessity are generally to little known to each other; there are
too many of both sexes ready to take advantage of the innocent and
unwary, and their opportunities of escape from all penalty invite
the crimes suggested by their evil natures. Belle had been often
warned, and she had so much affection for her mother and so much
pride that she did not fall readily into indiscretions; nor would
she in the future respond, without considerable self-restraint,
to the frequent advances which she never failed to recognize,
however distant she might appear, and she would not have possessed
a woman's nature had she been indifferent to admiring glances and
the overtures of those who would gladly form her acquaintance.
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