age should take place in Wargrove, and
that the fact of Sylvia's father being murdered should be suppressed. In
fact, the old gentleman left nothing to the young couple, but arranged
everything in his own selfish way, even to choosing, in Wargrove, the
house they would inhabit. The house, he mentioned, was one of his own
which could not be let on account of some trivial tale of a ghost, and
Mr. Beecot would give this as a marriage gift to Paul, thus getting rid
of an unprofitable property and playing the part of a generous father at
one and the same time. In spite of his bucolic ways and pig-headed
obstinacy and narrow views, Beecot senior possessed a certain amount of
cunning which Paul read in every line of the selfish letter before him.

However, the main point was, that the old gentleman seemed ready to
overlook the past and to receive Sylvia. Paul wanted to return to his
home, not so much on account of his father, as because he wished to
smooth the remaining years of his mother, and he knew well that Sylvia
with her gentle ways and heart of gold would make Mrs. Beecot happy. So
long as Paul loved the girl he wished to marry, the mother was happy;
but Beecot senior had an eye to the money, and thus was ready to be
bribed into forgiveness and decent behavior. Now all this was altered.
From the tone of the letter, Paul knew his father would never consent to
his marrying a girl not only without a name, but lacking the fortune
which alone rendered her desirable in his eyes. Still, the truth would
have to be told, and if Beecot senior refused to approve of the
marriage, the young couple would have to do without his sanction. The
position, thought Paul, would only make him work the harder, so that
within a reasonable time he might be able to provide a home for Sylvia.

So, the young man facing the situation, bravely wrote to his father and
explained how the fortune had passed from Sylvia, but declared, with all
the romance of youth, that he intended to marry the girl all the same.
If Beecot senior, said Paul, would permit the marriage, and allow the
couple a small income until the husband could earn enough to keep the
pot boiling, the writer would be grateful. If not, Paul declared firmly
that he would work like a slave to make a home for his darling. But
nothing in the world would make him give up Sylvia. This was the letter
to his father, and then Paul wrote one to his mother, detailing the
circumstances and imploring h