“How can you like to pain me by talking of these things?”
“But we must talk of them, Gardy. You know we think of them; and this letter—this letter,” said she, tapping it with her finger impatiently, “must be answered one day.”
“And there is but one answer to give, Kate,” said he, sharply. “I will not consent. He who now assumes the uncle——”
“He is my uncle, Sir,” said she, haughtily. “It is scarcely generous to deny me whatever good blood I can lay claim to.”
“My child, my dear child, if you but knew how I love whatever loves you, you would not have uttered this reproach.”
“My mother’s sister’s husband is surely my uncle,” said she, coldly, and not heeding his protestation. “I never heard that a mésalliance could cancel the ties of kindred.”
“None ever said so, Kate.”
“You said as much, Sir; you said, ‘assumes the uncle!’”
“I meant in a different sense, my dear child. I meant, that he wanted to impose an authority which mere relationship would not give him.”
“Read his letter again, Sir—pray read it.”