agisterial arrangement. She sat down with less than her usual grace of
manner, and looked at him with her brows knitted. It was one of the rare
moments in which she reminded him of her mother. An angry impulse to bid
her not dare look so at him almost got the better of him. However, he
began prudently with a carefully premeditated speech.

"It is my duty, Marian," he said gravely, "to speak of the statement
you made last night. We need not allude to the painful scene which took
place then: better let that rest and be forgotten as soon as possible.
But the discovery of what you have been doing without my knowledge has
cost me a sleepless night and a great deal of anxiety. I wish to reason
with you now quite calmly and dispassionately; and I trust you will
remember that I am older and have far more experience of the world than
you, and that I am a better judge of your interests than you yourself
can possibly be. Ahem! I have been this morning to the City, where I saw
Mr. Conolly, and endeavored to make him understand the true nature of
his conduct toward me--and, I may add, toward you--in working his way
clandestinely into an intimacy with you. I shall not describe to you
what passed; but I may say that I have found him to be a person with
whom you could not hope for a day's happiness. Even apart from his
habits and tastes, which are those of a mere workman, his social (and, I
fear, his religious) views are such as no lady, no properly-minded woman
of any class, could sympathize with. You will be better able to judge of
his character when I tell you that he informed me of his having taken
care, before making any advances to you, to ascertain how much money you
had. He boasted in the coarsest terms of his complete influence over
you, evidently without a suspicion of the impression of venality and
indelicacy which his words were calculated to make on me. Besides,
Marian, I am sure you would not like to contract a marriage which would
give me the greatest pain; which would offend my family; and which would
have the effect of shutting you out from all good society."

"You are mistaken in him, papa."

"I beg you will allow me to finish, Marian. [He had to think for a
moment before he could substantiate this pretence of having something
more to say.] I have quite made up my mind, from personal observation of
Mr. Conolly, that even an ordinary acquaintance between you is out of
the question. I, in short, refuse to allow anythin