"But why should he in this case?"
"That again is something we needn't discuss. All that matters, my dear young lady, is your own interest. I'm working for that, don't you see, against yourself—"
I burst out, "But why shouldn't I marry him?"
He leaned on the table, tapping gently with his hand. "Because we don't want you to. Isn't that enough?"
I ignored this. "If it's because you don't know anything about me I could tell you."
"Oh, but we do know something about you. We know, for example, since you compel me to say it, that you're a little person of no importance whatever."
"My family is one of the best in Canada."
"And admitting that that's so, who would care what constituted a good family in Canada? To us here it means nothing; in England it would mean still less. I've had opportunities of judging how Canadians are regarded in England, and I assure you it's nothing to make you proud."
Of the several things he had said to sting me I was most sensitive to this. I, too, had had opportunities of judging, and knew that if anything could make one ashamed of being a British colonial of any kind it would be British opinion of colonials.
"My father used to say—"