ett; now, look here, my good
fellow. You're getting into bad ways; you're courting temptation. By
Jupiter! they'll be marrying you next. They will, sir; they'll be
marrying you, before you know where you are; marrying you in a church.
And if they can't get you to church, they'll marry you before the
Registrar; by Jupiter! they will."

"But she's a pretty girl, remember that."

"She may be the most monstrous pretty girl, for all I care. But don't
you let her hook you, my boy. Women are all fudge, sir. Girls are mostly
dolls dressed in feathers and fine clothes. But I grant you that there's
some dignity in a woman who's a mother; but by forty she becomes old,
and then she must be a plaguey nuisance. No, Scarlett, I never married,
thank God. Fancy being at the beck and call of a crotchety old beldame,
at my time of life. No, sir; I never knew what it was to be questioned
and badgered when I came home at night, no matter if it was two in the
morning. I can do as I like, sir: I need not go home at all. I'm a free
man. Now, take my advice, Scarlett; be a free man too."

"But you never could have been in love, Mr. Crewe."

"Perhaps not; very likely not."

Mr. Crewe had stood during the latter part of the dialogue, that he
might the more emphatically denounce matrimony; and Scarlett rose from
his comfortable chair, and stood beside him.

"But do as I did, my dear sir"--the Father of Timber Town placed his
hand on Jack's sleeve--"and nothing disastrous will happen. Whenever a
young woman became very pressing, what do you think I used to do?"

"I don't know. I don't see how I can tell. Perhaps you told her you had
an incurable disease, and had one foot in the grave."

"No, sir; that would have made her marry me the quicker--in order to get
my money. No, I used to propose solemnly and in due form--on behalf of
my brother Julius. I would say, 'My dear young lady, my brother Julius
_ought_ to be married, and you are the girl to suit him. He is delicate,
affectionate in disposition, domesticated--quite the reverse of myself,
my dear--and you are the beau ideal companion for him.' But do you
believe that Julius is married? No, sir; not a bit of it; no more
married than I am--no, sir; as confirmed an old bachelor as ever you
saw. Very good, wasn't it? Just the way to deal with them, eh? Adopt the
plan, Jack; adopt the plan, and you'll escape as certainly as I did."

"Look here," said Scarlett, "we'll go and see the banker; we