"I saw Miss Haredale last night," Edward resumed, when he hadcomplied with this request; "her uncle, in her presence,immediately after your interview, and, as of course I know, inconsequence of it, forbade me the house, and, with circumstances ofindignity which are of your creation I am sure, commanded me toleave it on the instant."
"For his manner of doing so, I give you my honour, Ned, I am notaccountable," said his father. "That you must excuse. He is amere boor, a log, a brute, with no address in life.--Positively afly in the jug. The first I have seen this year."
Edward rose, and paced the room. His imperturbable parent sippedhis tea.
"Father," said the young man, stopping at length before him, "wemust not trifle in this matter. We must not deceive each other, orourselves. Let me pursue the manly open part I wish to take, anddo not repel me by this unkind indifference."
"Whether I am indifferent or no," returned the other, "I leave you,my dear boy, to judge. A ride of twenty-five or thirty miles,through miry roads--a Maypole dinner--a tete-a-tete with Haredale,which, vanity apart, was quite a Valentine and Orson business--aMaypole bed--a Maypole landlord, and a Maypole retinue of idiotsand centaurs;--whether the voluntary endurance of these thingslooks like indifference, dear Ned, or like the excessive anxiety,and devotion, and all that sort of thing, of a parent, you shalldetermine for yourself."
"I wish you to consider, sir," said Edward, "in what a cruelsituation I am placed. Loving Miss Haredale as I do"-"My dear fellow," interrupted his father with a compassionatesmile, "you do nothing of the kind. You don"t know anything aboutit. There"s no such thing, I assure you. Now, do take my word forit. You have good sense, Ned,--great good sense. I wonder youshould be guilty of such amazing absurdities. You really surpriseme."
"I repeat," said his son firmly, "that I love her. You haveinterposed to part us, and have, to the extent I have just now toldyou of, succeeded. May I induce you, sir, in time, to think morefavourably of our attachment, or is it your intention and yourfixed design to hold us asunder if you can?"
"My dear Ned," returned his father, taking a pinch of snuff andpushing his box towards him, "that is my purpose most undoubtedly."
"The time that has elapsed," rejoined his son, "since I began toknow her worth, has flown in such a dream that until now I havehardly once paused to reflect upon my true position. What is it?
From my childhood I have been accustomed to luxury and idleness,and have been bred as though my fortune were large, and myexpectations almost without a limit. The idea of wealth has beenfamiliarised to me from my cradle. I have been taught to look uponthose means, by which men raise themselves to riches anddistinction, as being beyond my heeding, and beneath my care. Ihave been, as the phrase is, liberally educated, and am fit fornothing. I find myself at last wholly dependent upon you, with noresource but in your favour. In this momentous question of my lifewe do not, and it would seem we never can, agree. I have shrunkinstinctively alike from those to whom you have urged me to paycourt, and from the motives of interest and gain which haverendered them in your eyes visible objects for my suit. If therenever has been thus much plain-speaking between us before, sir, thefault has not been mine, indeed. If I seem to speak too plainlynow, it is, believe me father, in the hope that there may be afranker spirit, a worthier reliance, and a kinder confidencebetween us in time to come."
"My good fellow," said his smiling father, "you quite affect me.
Go on, my dear Edward, I beg. But remember your promise. There isgreat earnestness, vast candour, a manifest sincerity in all yousay, but I fear I observe the faintest indications of a tendency to prose."
"I am very sorry, sir."
"I am very sorry, too, Ned, but you know that I cannot fix my mindfor any long period upon one subject. If you"ll come to the pointat once, I"ll imagine all that ought to go before, and conclude itsaid. Oblige me with the milk again. Listening, invariably makesme feverish."
"What I would say then, tends to this," said Edward. "I cannotbear this absolute dependence, sir, even upon you. Time has beenlost and opportunity thrown away, but I am yet a young man, and mayretrieve it. Will you give me the means of devoting such abilitiesand energies as I possess, to some worthy pursuit? Will you let metry to make for myself an honourable path in life? For any termyou please to name--say for five years if you will--I will pledgemyself to move no further in the matter of our difference withoutyour fall concurrence. During that period, I will endeavourearnestly and patiently, if ever man did, to open some prospect formyself, and free you from the burden you fear I should become if Imarried one whose worth and beauty are her chief endowments. Willyou do this, sir? At the expiration of the term we agree upon, let us discuss this subject again. Till then, unless it is revived byyou, let it never be renewed between us."
"My dear Ned," returned his father, laying down the newspaper atwhich he had been glancing carelessly, and throwing himself back inthe window-seat, "I believe you know how very much I dislike whatare called family affairs, which are only fit for plebeianChristmas days, and have no manner of business with people of ourcondition. But as you are proceeding upon a mistake, Ned-altogetherupon a mistake--I will conquer my repugnance to enteringon such matters, and give you a perfectly plain and candid answer,if you will do me the favour to shut the door."
Edward having obeyed him, he took an elegant little knife from hispocket, and paring his nails, continued:
"You have to thank me, Ned, for being of good family; for yourmother, charming person as she was, and almost broken-hearted, andso forth, as she left me, when she was prematurely compelled tobecome immortal--had nothing to boast of in that respect."
"Her father was at least an eminent lawyer, sir," said Edward.
