en us should be given up,
would not she be so unhappy that you would have to pity her?"

"She would get over it."

"And so will your father."

"He has a right to have his own opinion on such a matter."

"And so have I. And so has she. His rights in this matter are very
clear and very potential. I am quite ready to admit that we cannot
marry for many years to come, unless he will provide the money. You
are quite at liberty to tell him that I say so. I have no right to
ask your father for a penny, and I will never do so. The power is all
in his hands. As far as I know my own purposes, I shall not make any
immediate attempt even to see her. We did meet, as you saw, the other
day, by the merest chance. After that, do you think that your sister
wishes me to give her up?"

"As for supposing that girls are to have what they wish, that is
nonsense."

"For young men I suppose equally so. Life ought to be a life of
self-denial, no doubt. Perhaps it might be my duty to retire from
this affair, if by doing so I should sacrifice only myself. The one
person of whom I am bound to think in this matter is the girl I
love."

"That is just what she would say about you."

"I hope so."

"In that way you support each other. If it were any other man
circumstanced just like you are, and any other girl placed like Mary,
you would be the first to say that the man was behaving badly. I
don't like to use hard language to you, but in such a case you would
be the first to say of another man--that he was looking after the
girl's money."

Silverbridge as he said this looked forward steadfastly on to the
water, regretting much that cause for quarrel should have arisen,
but thinking that Tregear would find himself obliged to quarrel.
But Tregear, after a few moments' silence, having thought it out,
determined that he would not quarrel. "I think I probably might," he
said, laying his hand on Silverbridge's arm. "I think I perhaps might
express such an opinion."

"Well then!"

"I have to examine myself, and find out whether I am guilty of the
meanness which I might perhaps be too ready to impute to another.
I have done so, and I am quite sure that I am not drawn to your
sister by any desire for her money. I did not seek her because
she was a rich man's daughter, nor,--because she is a rich man's
daughter,--will I give her up. She shall be mistress of the occasion.
Nothing but a word from her shall induce me to leave her;--but a word
fro