present discussion
on matters which might, perhaps, be more disagreeable, but to which
he need not allude if the accident of his birth were to be taken by
the father as settling the question. "My mother was an English lady,"
he added, "but my father certainly was not an Englishman. I never
had the common happiness of knowing either of them. I was an orphan
before I understood what it was to have a parent."

This was said with a pathos which for the moment stopped the
expression of any further harsh criticism from the lawyer. Mr.
Wharton could not instantly repeat his objection to a parentage
which was matter for such melancholy reflections; but he felt at the
same time that as he had luckily landed himself on a positive and
undeniable ground of objection to a match which was distasteful to
him, it would be unwise for him to go to other matters in which he
might be less successful. By doing so, he would seem to abandon the
ground which he had already made good. He thought it probable that
the man might have an adequate income, and yet he did not wish
to welcome him as a son-in-law. He thought it possible that the
Portuguese father might be a Portuguese nobleman, and therefore
one whom he would be driven to admit to have been in some sort a
gentleman;--but yet this man who was now in his presence and whom
he continued to scan with the closest observation, was not what he
called a gentleman. The foreign blood was proved, and that would
suffice. As he looked at Lopez he thought that he detected Jewish
signs, but he was afraid to make any allusion to religion, lest Lopez
should declare that his ancestors had been noted as Christians since
St. James first preached in the Peninsula.

"I was educated altogether in England," continued Lopez, "till I was
sent to a German university in the idea that the languages of the
continent are not generally well learned in this country. I can never
be sufficiently thankful to my guardian for doing so."

"I dare say;--I dare say. French and German are very useful. I have a
prejudice of my own in favour of Greek and Latin."

"But I rather fancy I picked up more Greek and Latin at Bohn than I
should have got here, had I stuck to nothing else."

"I dare say;--I dare say. You may be an Admirable Crichton for what I
know."

"I have not intended to make any boast, sir, but simply to vindicate
those who had the care of my education. If you have no objection
except that founded on my birth,