King Cophetua married the beggar's daughter. He
was sure of that. King Cophetua probably had not a father, and the
beggar, probably, was not high-minded. But the discrepancy in that
case was much greater. He intended to persevere, trusting much to
a belief that when once he was married his father would 'come
round'. His father always did come round. But the more he thought
of it, the more impossible it seemed to him that he should ask his
father's consent at the present moment. Lady Mabel's presence in
the house was an insuperable obstacle. He thought that he could do
it if he and his father were alone together, or comparatively
alone. He must be prepared for an opposition, at any rate of some
days, which opposition would make his father quite unable to
entertain his guests while it lasted.
But as he could not declare his wishes to his father, and was thus
disobeying Isabel's behests, he must explain the difficulty to
her. He felt already that she would despise him for his
cowardice,--that she would not perceive the difficulties in his
way, or understand that he might injure his cause by
precipitation.
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