marriage with me be imprudent?
I possess actual competence, and a prospect of wealth. I come of a long
lived and healthy family. My name is, beyond comparison, more widely
known than yours. [Mr. Lind recoiled]. I now find myself everywhere
treated with a certain degree of consideration, which an alliance with
your daughter will not diminish."

"In fact, you are conferring a great honor on my family by condescending
to marry into it?"

"I dont understand that way of looking at things, Mr. Lind; and so I
leave you to settle the question of honor as you please. But you must
not condemn me for putting my position in the best possible light in
order to reconcile you to an inevitable fact."

"What do you mean by an inevitable fact, sir?"

"My marriage, of course. I assure you that it will take place."

"But I shall not permit it to take place. Do you think to ignore me in
the matter?"

"Practically so. If you give your consent, I shall be glad for the sake
of Marian, who will be gratified by it. But if you withhold it, we must
dispense with it. By opposing us, you will simply--by making Marian's
home unbearable to her--precipitate the wedding." Conolly, under the
influence of having put the case neatly, here relaxed his manner so far
as to rest his elbows on the table and look pleasantly at his visitor.

"Do you know to whom you are speaking?" said Mr. Lind, driven by rage
and a growing fear of defeat into desperate self-assertion.

"I am speaking," said Conolly with a smile, "to my future
father-in-law."

"I am a director of this company, of which you are the servant, as you
shall find to your cost if you persist in holding insulting language to
me."

"If I found any director of this company allowing other than strictly
business considerations to influence him at the Board, I should insist
on his resigning."

Mr. Lind looked at him severely, then indignantly, then unsteadily,
without moving him in the least. At last he said, more humbly: "I hope
you will not abuse your position, Mr. Conolly. I do not know whether you
have sufficient influence over Marian to induce her to defy me; but
however that may be, I appeal to your better feelings. Put yourself in
my place. If you had an only daughter----"

"Excuse my interrupting you," said Conolly, gently; "but that will not
advance the argument unless you put yourself in mine. Besides, I am
pledged to Marian. If she asks me to break off the match, I shall
release her