"As flourishing as a successful financier and septuagenarian bridegroom can be."
"Why!—what do you mean?"
"Haven't you heard the news?"
"What is it? You—you don't mean—"
"Has our father written nothing to you of a very important and utterly unexpected act of his life?"
"No."
"I advised him to marry—"
"You! You! Fabian! You advised our father to do such an absurd thing at his age?"
"I confess I don't see the absurdity of it," quietly replied the elder brother.
"Oh, why did you counsel him to such an act?" inquired Mr. Clarence, more in sorrow than in anger.