"Who is that very pleasing looking young man, Edward?" was her first question.
"What young man?" was the half-irritated reply.
"I am speaking of the gentleman we met just now, who was supporting, I suppose, his aged father; Edward, he reminded me of dear uncle."
Edward Armstrong winced. The good and intelligent old yeoman, his own father, was in position and education far inferior to Dr. Halford, and yet he despised the latter because he was a schoolmaster and poor. He at last replied with an effort,—"Father and son are schoolmasters, and the son is going to be a parson."
"But they are as much gentlemen as your wife is a lady, Edward; I can tell by your manner that you dislike them, but why?"
"Why?" he asked impetuously, "because they are poor, and the son had the audacity to ask me for Mary."
"And you refused him."
"Of course I did; do you suppose I was fool enough to give up to him the money I have worked so hard for, as my daughter's marriage portion? and no doubt that was all he wanted."
"Does Mary know of this?"
"Unfortunately she does, although I kept it from her as long as I could; but it slipped out in some way."