"My mother will not hear of it; she would sooner see me dead than married to you."
"Why?"
"She knows you are an atheist for one thing."
"But she does not know that I have six thousand a year."
"Six thousand a year! and who was the fairy that threw such fortune into your lap? I thought you had nothing."
Vanity took him by the throat, but he wrenched himself free, and answered evasively that a distant cousin had left him a large sum of money, including an estate in Berkshire.
"Well, I'm very glad for your sake, but it will not influence mother's opinion of you."
"Then you will run away with me? Say you will."
"That is the best—for I'm not strong enough to dispute with mother.
I dare say it is very cowardly of me, but I would avoid scenes; I've
had enough of them…. We'll go away together. Where shall we go? To
Italy?"
"Yes, to Italy—my Italy. And do you love me? Have you forgiven me my conduct the day when you came to see me?"