"No, dad, I'm not going to do any such thing."
Suddenly the Taffy King quieted down. He struggled to control his voice and his shaking hands. A deadly calm mantled his excitement and his eyes glittered as he gazed up at his tall son.
"Is this a straight answer, Lawford? Or are you just talking to hear yourself talk?" he asked coldly.
"I am determined not to marry Dot."
"And you'll marry that other girl?"
"If she'll have me. But whether or no I won't be forced into marriage with a girl I do not love."
"Love!" exploded the Taffy King. Then in a moment he was calm again, only for that inward glow of rage. "People don't really love each other until after marriage. Love is born of propinquity and thrives on usage and custom. You only think you love this girl. It's after two people have been through a good deal together that they learn what love means."
Lawford was somewhat startled by this philosophy; but he was by no means convinced.
"Whether or no," he repeated, "I think I should have the same right that you had of choosing a wife."
His father brushed this aside without comment. "Do you understand what this means—if you are determined to disobey me?" he snarled.