“This money that’s here, sir?”
“Yes, miss; the sum he makes over to you to compensate you for breaking off his addresses.”
I was filled with horror. “But you would not dream of accepting it, sir?”
“Why, miss, I must; that’s the cursed part of the business. Say that the Captain breaks off his courtship, which is become the common talk of all Calcutta. Did you refuse him? Then the gossip was true, and you was bound by some earlier engagement, so as you durst not marry him. Did he withdraw from his suit? Then you may be assured that he had discovered some spot on the lady’s reputation. Did I put an end to the affair? Why then, I was aware of something improper, and as a person of honour, refused to permit my friend to sacrifice himself. The lady’s in the wrong, you see, however you take it.”
“But, sir, how can this horrid, this dreadful money make things better?”
“Why, just in this way, miss. The Captain came to me last night, and told me you had received his addresses with the dutiful acceptance I had prepared him to expect in you. ‘But presently,’ says he, ‘talking with Miss, I discovered that if she honoured me with her hand, I could not hope to make her as happy as a lady of her beauty and merits has a right to expect. To force myself upon so charming a creature without that assurance which I failed to obtain would be to inflict undeserved misery on her, and a richly merited remorse on myself, but I am sensible that I would do her only a less harm by withdrawing from my suit. As a testimony, then, of my regard for the lady’s worth, and a compensation to her for the breaking-off of the match, I desire to make over to you for her use the sum of five thousand pounds, to be settled strictly upon herself,[03] whomsoever she may marry, and I will take it kindly in you, sir, to allow her to exercise her own choice in that particular.’ That I promised him at once, for ’twas all I could do for him, and indeed he has found the only way out of the difficulty.”
“Oh, sir,” my voice was choked, “forgive me, but mayn’t it be said that the dear gentleman paid down the money sooner than marry me?”
“No, miss, it mayn’t; for what man in his senses would allow himself to be forced into paying down such a sum without a fight at the law? And having paid it, would he be likely to remain friendly with the lady and her family? or more, would he use his best efforts to marry her to a relation of his own?”
“Oh, sir!” This took me quite aback, as the sailors say.
“Yes, indeed, miss. There was an understood condition attached to the gift that if Mr Fraser should pay you his addresses, and they were agreeable to you, I should offer no objection to your marrying. I hadn’t been aware hitherto that I was such a tyrannical parent that ’twas necessary to buy my consent to my daughter’s marrying the man she had a fancy for, but I suppose I can bear the blame if it’s to pleasure the Captain. And now, miss, let me know your thoughts on the subject. Do you desire to marry the fellow?”