"

"You begin to be sensible. You are my son, my only son, Edward," said
the old gentleman, in a milder tone. "All my hopes are in you. I have
never been hard with you."

"You have not, father."

"But I would rather lose every dollar I have in the world to-day, and
begin life anew at the age of sixty, than see you the husband of
Medway's daughter. I mean just what I say, and nothing less. It would
break my heart."

The young man wanted to say that it would break his heart not to be the
husband of Sara Medway; but he had learned to temporize and be insincere
before the unreasonable wrath of his father, and he was silent.

"You are twenty-one now. You have gone through college, and have only to
study your profession. You needn't make hard work of it, for you will
not be obliged to drudge for a living; but you may wish to go into
politics, and as a lawyer you will succeed better. You shall have all
the money you want. I have already decided to give you an allowance of
five thousand a year, and you can check it from the bank as you want it.
Go to Europe for the next year or two, if you wish; travel in your own
country first, if you like. Your health is somewhat shaken by your
confinement in college, and a couple of years' recreation will do you
good. You needn't hurry about your profession. Please yourself, Edward,
in everything except this Medway matter; and don't let me hear another
word about this girl; don't go near her; don't write to her."

The Honorable Mr. Montague, having delivered himself of his harsh
threat, and having smoothed it over in the most gingerly manner he
could, walked out of the library, where the conversation had taken
place. He evidently felt relieved, and, perhaps, thought that he had
bravely met a great responsibility, and had done his whole duty
faithfully to his son. He honestly believed that the Honorable Mr.
Medway was a villain of the blackest dye, not only politically, but
morally and socially; and, this postulate admitted, it followed, by his
narrow reasoning, that Mrs. Medway, Miss Medway, and all that related to
the fountain Medway were, utterly vile and villanous. He hated the
father, and he could not help hating the daughter.

Mr. Montague was a Whig, and Mr. Medway was a Democrat; or, Mr. Montague
was a Democrat, and Mr. Medway was a Whig; we cannot tell just how this
was; it is enough to say that they were on opposite sides in politics.
Mr. Montague was a wealthy man, and Mr.