p my mind long ago that
you should never go into my business; you were to be something a good
deal better. But after all you couldn't, or wouldn't, do what I wanted.
Never mind--I said to myself--never mind; at all events, he has learnt
to _think_ in a better way than if I had sent him to common schools,
and after all that's the main thing. But here you come to me and talk
of marrying a low-bred, low-minded creature, who wouldn't be good enough
for the meanest clerk!'

'How do you know that, father? What--what right have you to say such
things, without knowing more of her than you do?'

There was a brief silence before Mr. Lord spoke again.

'You are very young,' he said, with less vehement contempt. 'I must
remember that. At your age, a lad has a sort of devil in him, that's
always driving him out of the path of common sense, whether he will or
no. I'll try my best to talk quietly with you. Does your sister know
what has been going on?'

'I daresay she does. I haven't told her in so many words.'

'I never thought of it,' pursued Mr. Lord gloomily. 'I took it for
granted that everybody must see those people as I myself did. I have
wondered now and then why Nancy kept up any kind of acquaintance with
them, but she spoke of them in the rational way, and that seemed enough.
I may have thought that they might get some sort of good out of _her_,
and I felt sure she had too much sense to get harm from _them_. If it
hadn't been so, I should have forbidden her to know them at all. What
have you to say for yourself? I don't want to think worse of you than I
need. I can make allowance for your age, as I said. What do you see in
that girl? Just talk to me freely and plainly.'

'After all you have said,' replied Horace, his voice still shaky,
'what's the use? You seem to be convinced that there isn't a single good
quality in her.'

'So I am. What I want to know is, what good _you_ have found.'

'A great deal, else I shouldn't have asked her to marry me.'

A vein of stubbornness, unmistakable inheritance from Stephen Lord,
had begun to appear in the youth's speech and bearing. He kept his head
bent, and moved it a little from side to side.

'Do you think her an exception in the family, then?'

'She's a great deal better in every way than her sisters. But I don't
think as badly of them as you do.'

Mr. Lord stepped to the door, and out into the passage, where he shouted
in his deep voice 'Nancy!' The girl quickly appear