Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1890-02-28

"Then l decline 10 listen; l decline
altogether to have this distasteful sub
ject re-opened in my presence |
speak plainly, for in a case like this
believe plain speaking to be the best.
l have not altered, my decision, and
never shall do so be good enough to
understand that"
"Never, my ladyp' queried Aaron
Blair slowly.
II have said never-my adopted
son knows it, l shall never give my
consent to his marriage with your
daughter. II he should prove so un-
grateful to me and so blind to his own
interests as TO marry her in defiance
OF me, then he we'll knows thai he
sacrifices a fortune, which would
otherwise be his at my death" She
rose and made a gesture of dismissal.
Further words are quite useless, "
she said coldly-'I have no more 10
say"
ii beg your pardon, my lady, but
there's little more for you to hear.
But I'll say first, If you please, that
you're not more set against it, and not
more sorry about it for the sake of
your adopted son, than / am for the
sake OF my daughter. If could only
have seen what would come of it the
day they first saw one another, there's
nothing wouldn't have done to pre-
vent it. And that's at least as true.
my lady, as what you have just said
to me-"
He spoke in a manner which, un-
polished and blunt as it was, was yet
almost as dignifed as Lady Elizabeth's
own. She looked at him, and her
thin lip slowly curved in a smile OF
satirical incredulous scorn. The au-
dacity of this common man, and his
assertion OF his common daughter,
were really almost amusing.
"Then, that being so undoubtedly
the case, why do you come herep" she
questioned Jelly.
"My, lady, for this reason. In
fortunately. my girl loves your adopt
ed son better than thought she did
and hoped she did, and she is fret
ting for him. Fretting so much that
unless it can be stopped. and that
soon, l can see pretty clearly what
the end will be-" He paused for
moment and then went on-"Her
mother died young, and so will she.
So | came here to-day, my lady,
where it is full as little pleasure to me
to be as it is for you to see me to
ask you If it could not be settled some
how"
ut is mpossible-utterly impossi-
ble!" said Lady Elizabeth coldly. II
must again decline to hear you"
She would have risen, apparently
that she might terminate the inter-
view by leaving the room, Needless of
the OBTAINING hand which Millicent
ventured to place upon her shoulder;
but Aaron Blair moved another pace
forward in front of her.
There's word or two more to say
yet, my lady-if there had been no
more than than l shouldn't be here
now. Maybe | ought to have said it
before. / should have done so; but i
hoped she would soon get over it and
forget it, and be as happy with me as
she used to be before she saw Mr.. Or
mission. It's this-if he marries her,
he won't be marrying a poor wife, al
though perhaps not a rich one com
pared with himself. When my Lily
marries she will have fortune Of
fifteen thousand pounds"
Lady Elizabeth repeated the la~t
words involuntarily. 1t seemed that
wonder had for the moment quenched
all other feelings in her.
s'I've been working man all my
life" he went on, las | dare say you
see plain enough; but had some little
brains for all OF that, and l turned
'em to the best account l could. /
don't need 10 trouble you with any ins
and outs. twas bit of an invention,
and | got IL patented, and it answered;
afterwards / sold it, and got good
price. My daughter doesn't know it;
but every penny OF that money is put
by for her, as / said--and that's the
sum thatll be hers the day she mar
ries. And If she marries your adopt
ed son, neither you nor any one else, my
lady, need be afraid that | shall trouble
either her or her husband. Let me
see her now and then, and that's all
l ask. He again paused for a mo-
ment, looked down at his hat, which
he held ip his hand since entering,
and then fookedsup with his former
steady air. AZ want 10 know, my
lady, if what I've told you makes any
difference in your way OF looking at
itp-meaning my daughter, that is"
''No,' returned Lady Elizabeth, in
her former frigid way. lit makes 20
difference. l regret, Mr.. Blair, that
this fancy should have q isen be-
tween two persons so totally unsuited
to each other us my adopted son and
your daughter, and / trust that she
will soon forget him and find suit
able husband in her own station of
life-I can say no more"
"Her own station OF life?" repeated
Aaron Blair, slowly passing his hard
hand over his grizlled hair. Then.
my lady, l take it that it isn't on ac-
count OF money that you objectp"
ut is not. / by no means consider IL
essential that my adop.ed son should
marry money: but he must marry his