"No, no; it is not a matter of business, Mr. Maxfield," said Diamond smiling, but not quite at his ease. Then he sat down and told his errand. Maxfield listened in perfect silence. "May I hope, Mr. Maxfield, that you will give us your consent and approbation?" asked Diamond, after a pause. "You're pretty glib, sir! I must know a little more about this matter before I can give an answer one way or another." "You shall know all that I can tell you, Mr. Maxfield. Indeed, I do not see what more I have to say. I have explained to you what my prospects in life are. I have told you every particular with the most absolute fulness and candour. As to my feeling for your daughter, I don't think I could fully express that if I talked to you all night." "What did my daughter say to you?" "She--she told me that she was willing to be my wife, but that it must depend upon your consent." "Rhoda has always been a very dutiful daughter. There's not many like Rhoda." "I appreciate her, Mr. Maxfield. You may believe that I do most heartily appreciate her. I have long known that all my happiness depended on winning Rhoda for my wife. I have loved her long. But, of course, I could not venture to ask her to marry me, or to ask you to give her to me, until I had some prospect of a home to offer her." "Ah! And this prospect, now--you aren't sure about it?" "No; I am not quite sure." "And, supposing you don't get the place--how then?" "Why, then, Mr. Maxfield, I should look for another. If you will give your consent to my engagement to Rhoda, I am not afraid of not finding a place in the world for her. I have a fair share of resolution; I am industrious and well educated; I am not quite thirty years old. If you will give me a word of encouragement I shall be sure to succeed." "Head-master of Dorrington Proprietary School, eh? Will that be a place like Dr. Bodkin's?" "Something of that kind, only not so lucrative." "Dr. Bodkin is thought a good deal of in Whitford." "Mr. Maxfield, may I hope for a favourable answer from you before I go?" Old Max struck his hand sharply on the table as he exclaimed, almost with a snarl, "I will not be hurried, sir! nor made to speak rashly and without duly pondering and meditating my words." Then he added, in a different tone, "You are glib, sir! mighty glib! Do you know what Miss Maxfield will have to her portion--if I choose to give it her?" "No, Mr. Maxfield, I do not. Nor do I care to know. I would take her to my heart to-morrow if she would come, although she were the poorest beggar in the world!" "And would you take her without my consent?" "I would, if you had no reasonable grounds for withholding it." "You would steal my daughter away without my consent?" "I said nothing about stealing. I should not think of deceiving you in the matter. I think you must acknowledge that I am speaking to you pretty frankly, at any rate!"