me."

"I will wait," rejoined Vendale, "until you have recovered yourself."

"One word before I recover myself. You have said nothing about this to
my niece?"

"I have opened my whole heart to your niece. And I have reason to hope--"

"What!" interposed Obenreizer. "You have made a proposal to my niece,
without first asking for my authority to pay your addresses to her?" He
struck his hand on the table, and lost his hold over himself for the
first time in Vendale's experience of him. "Sir!" he exclaimed,
indignantly, "what sort of conduct is this? As a man of honour, speaking
to a man of honour, how can you justify it?"

"I can only justify it as one of our English institutions," said Vendale
quietly. "You admire our English institutions. I can't honestly tell
you, Mr. Obenreizer, that I regret what I have done. I can only assure
you that I have not acted in the matter with any intentional disrespect
towards yourself. This said, may I ask you to tell me plainly what
objection you see to favouring my suit?"

"I see this immense objection," answered Obenreizer, "that my niece and
you are not on a social equality together. My niece is the daughter of a
poor peasant; and you are the son of a gentleman. You do us an honour,"
he added, lowering himself again gradually to his customary polite level,
"which deserves, and has, our most grateful acknowledgments. But the
inequality is too glaring; the sacrifice is too great. You English are a
proud people, Mr. Vendale. I have observed enough of this country to see
that such a marriage as you propose would be a scandal here. Not a hand
would be held out to your peasant-wife; and all your best friends would
desert you."

"One moment," said Vendale, interposing on his side. "I may claim,
without any great arrogance, to know more of my country people in
general, and of my own friends in particular, than you do. In the
estimation of everybody whose opinion is worth having, my wife herself
would be the one sufficient justification of my marriage. If I did not
feel certain--observe, I say certain--that I am offering her a position
which she can accept without so much as the shadow of a humiliation--I
would never (cost me what it might) have asked her to be my wife. Is
there any other obstacle that you see? Have you any personal objection
to me?"

Obenreizer spread out both his hands in courteous protest. "Personal
objection!" he exclaimed. "Dear sir, the b