"When is it to be?" he asked.
"Nothing of that kind has ever been mentioned, papa."
"It had better be soon, if I am to have anything to do with it." Now it was certainly the case that the old man was very ill. He had not been out of the house since Clara had returned home; and, though he was always grumbling about his food, he could hardly be induced to eat anything when the morsels for which he expressed a wish were got for him.
"Of course you will be consulted, papa, before anything is settled."
"I don't want to be in anybody's way, my dear."
"And may I tell Frederic that you have given your consent?"
"What's the use of my consenting or not consenting? If you had been anxious to oblige me you would have taken your cousin Will."
"Oh, papa, how could I accept a man I didn't love?"
"You seemed to me to be very fond of him at first; and I must say, I thought he was ill-treated."
"Papa, papa; do not say such things as that to me!"