"You would not, for instance, wish that Henry should marry a kitchen-maid."
"But is Miss Crawley a kitchen-maid, Susan?"
"I don't quite say that."
"I am told that she has been educated infinitely better than most of the young ladies in the neighbourhood," said Mr. Harding.
"I believe that her father has taught her Greek; and I suppose she has learned something of French at that school at Silverbridge."
"Then the kitchen-maid theory is sufficiently disposed of," said Mr. Harding, with mild triumph.
"You know what I mean, papa. But the fact is, that it is impossible to deal with men. They will never be reasonable. A marriage such as this would be injurious to Henry; but it will not be ruinous; and as to disinheriting him for it, that would be downright wicked."
"I think so," said Mr. Harding.
"But the archdeacon will look at it as though it would destroy Henry and Edith altogether, while you speak of it as though it were the best thing in the world."
"If the young people love each other, I think it would be the best thing in the world," said Mr. Harding.