f-control in speaking to you which I
fully admit you have as much right to expect as anyone else."

"It does not matter. I can quite understand his feeling."

"It does matter--pardon me. We should be sorry to appear wanting in
consideration for you."

"That is a trifle. Let us keep the question straight before us. We need
make no show of consideration for one another. I have shown none toward
your family."

"But I assure you our only desire is to arrange everything in a friendly
spirit."

"No doubt. But when I am bent on doing a certain thing which you are
equally bent on preventing, no very friendly spirit is possible except
one of us surrender unconditionally."

"Hear me a moment, Mr. Conolly. I have no doubt I shall be able to
convince you that this romantic project of my sister's is out of the
question. Your ambition--if I may say so without offence--very naturally
leads you to think otherwise; but the prompting of self-interest is not
our safest guide in this life."

"It is the only guide I recognize. If you are going to argue the
question, and your arguments are to prevail, they must be addressed to
my self-interest."

"I cannot think you quite mean that, Mr. Conolly."

"Well, waive the point for the present: I am open to conviction. You
know what my mind is. I have not changed it since I saw your father this
morning. You think I am wrong?"

"Not wrong. I do not say for a moment that you are wrong. I----"

"Mistaken. Ill-advised. Any term you like."

"I certainly believe that you are mistaken. Let me urge upon you first
the fact that you are causing a daughter to disobey her father. Now that
is an awful fact. May I--appealing to that righteousness in which I am
sure you are not naturally deficient--ask you whether you have reflected
on that fact?"

"It is not half so awful to me as the fact of a father forcing his
daughter's inclinations. However, awful is hardly the word for the
occasion. Let us come to business, Mr. Lind. I want to marry your sister
because I have fallen in love with her. You object. Have you any other
motive than aristocratic exclusiveness?"

"Indeed, you quite mistake. I have no such feeling. We are willing to
treat you with every possible consideration."

"Then why object?"

"Well, we are bound to look to her happiness. We cannot believe that it
would be furthered by an unsuitable match. I am now speaking to you
frankly as a man of the world."

"As a man of the world yo