lso. I have said that, though I do not know his family, for
the simple reason that he does not know it himself. He is everything
that is noble, and good, and excellent, and I would rather see Julia
marry him than any other person in existence."

"I know the world better than you do, Harry, and such a marriage as you
wish me to sanction for your sister is not calculated to promote her
welfare, and that is the point I, as her father, have to consider."

"If she is not allowed to marry Headland she will be miserable,"
exclaimed Harry.

"I had considered the point maturely before I sent for you," said Sir
Ralph, "and I wish to save your friend the annoyance of being spoken to
by me. If you refuse to tell him my determination, I shall have to do
so. And now, Harry, I have another matter to speak to you about."

Harry grew nervous.

"I understand during my absence you have paid frequent visits to
Downside."

"Yes, sir," said Harry, "Our cousins kindly invited me there."

"I know they did, and placed a young lady, I hear, of some personal
attractions in your way, and, like a sailor, you directly tumbled over
head and ears in love with her. I strip the matter of the romance with
which you may be inclined to surround it. Do I not speak the truth?"

"I confess, sir," said Harry, determined to speak boldly, "I have met at
the Miss Pembertons a young lady to whom I have declared my love."

"You have declared your fiddlestick," exclaimed the baronet, with less
than his usual dignity. "You could make no promise without my sanction,
and that I cannot give you. You can let the girl know this in any way
you like."

"My affections were engaged before I was aware of it, and as I am of
age, and the young lady is in every way calculated to insure my
happiness, and I have the means of supporting her without taxing you, I
felt that I had a right to propose to her."

"In other words, you were entrapped before you saw the meshes spread to
catch you, and discarding every other consideration, are ready to
disobey me, and give up your profession, and all your prospects of
advancement in life, for the sake of a pretty face," observed the
baronet, sarcastically. "Though _you_ are ready to make a fool of
yourself, I must exert my paternal authority and save you from ruin."

"But I do not contemplate giving up my profession, and the prize money I
have already made, with what I may hope to obtain, will give me ample
means to supp