tongue. I am sure you would not wish me to say to Gwen:--'Hence!
Begone! I forbid you to sacrifice yourself at My Shrine.' Now, would
you?"

The Squire was at liberty to ignore poetry. He took no notice of the
question, but proceeded to his second head. "Lady Ancester has a strong
opinion on the subject." He never said much at a time, and this being
difficult conversation, his part of it came in short lengths.

"To the effect that her daughter is throwing herself away. Quite right!
It is so. She _is_ throwing herself away."

"Lady Ancester expressed no opinion to that effect. She considers that
Gwen is not acting under the influence of ... under the usual motives.
That's all she said. Spoke very well of you, my boy!--I must say that."

"But...?"

"But thought Gwen ought to act only for her own sake."

"Of course she ought. Of course she ought. I see the whole turn out. Her
mother considers, quite rightly, that Jephtha, Judge of Israel, ought to
have been jolly well ashamed of himself. Perhaps he was. But that's
neither here nor there. What does Gwen's mammy think I ought to
do--ought to say--ought to pretend? That's what it comes to. Am I to
refuse to accompany Gwen to the altar till she can give sureties that
she is really in love, and plead the highest Spartan principles to
justify my conduct? Am I to make believe that I cannot, cannot love a
woman unless she produces certificates of affection based solely on the
desirability of my inestimable self? I should never make anyone believe
_that_. Why--if I thought Gwen hated me worse than poison, but was
marrying me on high moral grounds to square accounts, I don't think I
could humbug successfully, to that extent."

"Well, my dear boy, I am bound to confess that I do not see what you can
_do_. I can only repeat to you her ladyship's conviction, and tell you
that I believe it to be--what she says it is. I mean that she speaks
because she is certain Gwen is under the influence of this--of this
Quixotic motive. I can only tell you so, at her wish, and--and leave it
to you. I tell you frankly that if I were in her place, I should oppose
the marriage, under the circumstances."

"Why doesn't she tackle me about it herself?"

"H'm--well--h'm! I think if you look at it from her point of view ...
from her point of view, you'll see there would be many difficulties ...
many difficulties. Done your cigar? I suppose we ought to go and pay
your mother a visit."

Yes--Adria