‘Confound it—you don’t pretend you are in love!’
‘I don’t know whether I am or not, but I do know how I should like to bring that nice girl back to Hampshire, and install her at the Dingle. I’ve a tidy stable, some nice shooting, a good trout-stream, and then I should have the prettiest wife in the county.’
‘Happy dog! Yours is the real philosophy of life. The fellows who are realistic enough to reckon up the material elements of their happiness—who have little to speculate on and less to unbelieve—they are right.’
‘If you mean that I’ll never break my heart because I don’t get in for the county, that’s true—I don’t deny it. But come, tell me, is it all settled about your business? Has the uncle been asked?—has he spoken?’
‘He has been asked and given his consent. My distinguished father-in-law, the prince, has been telegraphed to this morning, and his reply may be here to-night or to-morrow. At all events, we are determined that even should he prove adverse, we shall not be deterred from our wishes by the caprice of a parent who has abandoned us.’
‘It’s what people would call a love-match.’
‘I sincerely trust it is. If her affections were not inextricably engaged, it is not possible that such a girl could pledge her future to a man as humble as myself?’
‘That is, she is very much in love with you?’
‘I hope the astonishment of your question does not arise from its seeming difficulty of belief?’
‘No, not so much that, but I thought there might have been a little heroics, or whatever it is, on your side.’