“I cannot touch that.”
“Why?”
“Because I will not. Father has been saving it ever since I was born. If he is sick it is all he has to live upon. It is bad enough to desert my parents; I will not rob them also.”
“You must not look at things in such extreme ways. You are going to spend money in order to make a fortune.”
“I will not spend father’s money––the fortune may never come.”
“Then there is my money. You are welcome to every penny of it. All I have is yours. I only live for you.”
“To say such things, Roland, is the way to marry me––if you mean to marry me––is it not? Among the fishermen it is so, only they would say first of all, ‘I do wish to be your husband.’”
“I am not a fisherman, Denas. And it would really be very dishonourable to bind your fortune irrevocably to mine. In a couple of years you would be apt to say: ‘Roland played me a mean trick, for he made me his wife only that he might have all the money I earn.’ Don’t you see what a dreadful position I should be in? I should be ashamed to show my face. Really, dearest, I must look after my honour. My money––that is nothing.”
“Roland, if honour and money cannot go together, there is something wrong. If I went to London alone and you were also in London and paying for my lessons, do you know what everyone would say in St. Penfer? Do you know what they would call me?”