he man's weakness. By his questions he had extracted quite enough
to assure himself that Emily's father would be adverse to his
proposition. He had not felt much doubt before, but now he was
certain. "He doesn't know much about me," he said, musing to himself.
"Well, no; he doesn't;--and there isn't very much that I can tell
him. Of course he's wise,--as wisdom goes. But then, wise men do do
foolish things at intervals. The discreetest of city bankers are
talked out of their money; the most scrupulous of matrons are talked
out of their virtue; the most experienced of statesmen are talked out
of their principles. And who can really calculate chances? Men who
lead forlorn hopes generally push through without being wounded;--and
the fifth or sixth heir comes to a title." So much he said, palpably,
though to himself, with his inner voice. Then,--impalpably, with no
even inner voice,--he asked himself what chance he might have of
prevailing with the girl herself; and he almost ventured to tell
himself that in that direction he need not despair.

In very truth he loved the girl and reverenced her, believing her to
be better and higher and nobler than other human beings,--as a man
does when he is in love; and so believing, he had those doubts as to
his own success which such reverence produces.

CHAPTER III

Mr. Abel Wharton, Q.C.

Lopez was not a man to let grass grow under his feet when he had
anything to do. When he was tired of walking backwards and forwards
over the same bit of pavement, subject all the while to a cold east
wind, he went home and thought of the same matter while he lay in
bed. Even were he to get the girl's assurances of love, without the
father's consent he might find himself farther from his object than
ever. Mr. Wharton was a man of old fashions, who would think himself
ill-used and his daughter ill-used, and who would think also that
a general offence would have been committed against good social
manners, if his daughter were to be asked for her hand without his
previous consent. Should he absolutely refuse,--why then the battle,
though it would be a desperate battle, might perhaps be fought with
other strategy; but, giving to the matter his best consideration,
Lopez thought it expedient to go at once to the father. In doing this
he would have no silly tremors. Whatever he might feel in speaking
to the girl, he had sufficient self-confidence to be able to ask the
father, if not with assur