"Not so, madam."
"Not honorable!"
"I think it is not honorable to acquire wealth, for the best purpose in the world, by giving the hand and not the heart."
"The hand and the heart!—who speaks of heart in these days? But you say it is even disgraceful to marry an heiress."
"Not at all; but if a man does not love a woman, is it not disgraceful in the full sense of that word, madam, to unite himself to her, or rather to her money bags, only that he may procure the means of living in luxury, and gratifying his expensive tastes and vices?"
"If he does not love her, you say. Love! that is a very pretty word, and rhymes, I believe, to dove! Well, sir, you have endeavored to establish your point by the aid of two delightful phrases, 'the hand and not the heart'—'the man who does not love a woman'—beautiful words, only I don't believe in them. Now be good enough to explain your third point:—how is it too 'expensive' to marry a wealthy woman? I know you gentlemen at the college are inveterate logicians, and find little difficulty in proving that twice two's five, and that black is irreproachable white—that fire is cold—ice, hot—smoke, heavy—and lead light as thistle-down. Still I imagine you will find it difficult to show that 'tis expensive to marry, let us say, fifty thousand pounds a year!"
Mowbray looked at her face a moment, and sighed; a great hope seemed to be leaving him; when he spoke, it was with manifest repugnance.
"Let us dismiss this singular subject, madam," he said calmly; "I spoke too thoughtlessly. See that lovely humming-bird around the honeysuckle, searching in vain for honey."
"As I do for your reasons, sir," said Philippa curtly.
"My reasons?"