'
The poor girl gave a little start on the sofa. 'Do you know-Mr
Tregear?' he added.
'Yes, papa; of course I know him. You used to see him in Italy.'
'I believe I did; I understood that he was there as a friend of
Silverbridge.'
'His most intimate friend, papa.'
'I dare say. He came to me in London yesterday, and told me,--! Oh
Mary, can it be true?'
'Yes, papa,' she said, covered up to her forehead with blushes,
and with her eyes turned down. In the ordinary affairs of life she
was a girl of great courage, who was not given to be shaken from
her constancy by the pressures of any present difficulty; but now
the terror inspired by her father's voice almost overpowered her.
'Do you mean to tell me that you have engaged yourself to that
young man without my approval?'
'Of course you were to have been asked, papa.'
'Is that in accordance with your idea of what should be the
conduct of a young lady in your position?'
'Nobody meant to conceal anything from you, papa.'
'It has been so far concealed. And yet this young man has the
self-confidence to come to me and to demand your hand as though it
were a matter of course that I should accede to so trivial a
request.
Pages:
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122