“Oh! of course, you are done for if you marry, that's clear. But let me ask you one more question, uncle. Are you perfectly certain that you actually made her an offer of marriage?”
“Ye—yes, I'm sure of it; I—I——.”
“And what if you dreamed the whole thing, just as you did that you were upset out of the carriage a second time?”
“Dear me! dear me! I—I really think I may have dreamed it; it's very awkward. I don't know how to show myself there, now. H—how could I find out, dear boy, for certain? Couldn't I get to know by some outside way whether I really did make her an offer of ma—arriage or not? Why, just you think of my dreadful po—sition!”
“Do you know, uncle, I don't think we need trouble ourselves to find out at all.”
“Why, wh—what then?”
“I am convinced that you were dreaming.”
“I—I think so myself, too, my dear fellow; es—pecially as I often have that sort of dream.”
“You see, uncle, you had a drop of wine for lunch, and then another drop or two for dinner, don't you know; and so you may easily have——”
“Ye—yes, quite so, quite so; it may easily have been that.”