"I cannot understand all this, mother. If either you or my father know any reason why I should be treated differently from other sons, you ought to tell me; not leave me to grope about in the dark." "But, my boy, we both think that no son was ever entitled to more consideration, or to kinder or more liberal treatment." "Why do I hear all this, then, about the difficulty of my marrying? Or if I hear so much, why do I not hear more? I know pretty well, I believe, what is my father's income." "If you do not, he would tell you for the asking." "And I know that I must be the heir to it, whatever it is,--not that that feeling would make any difference in my dealings with him, not the least. And, under these circumstances, I cannot conceive why he and you should look coldly upon my marriage." "I look coldly on it, Herbert!" "Do you not? Do you not tell me that there will be no income for me? If that is to be so; if that really is the case; if the property has so dwindled away, or become embarrassed--" "Oh, Herbert! there never was a man less likely to injure his son's property than your father." "I do not mean that, mother. Let him do what he likes with it, I should not upbraid him, even in my thoughts. But if it be embarrassed; if it has dwindled away; if there be any reason why I should not regard myself as altogether untrammelled with regard to money, he ought to tell me. I cannot accuse myself of expensive tastes." "Dearest Herbert, nobody accuses you of anything." "But I do desire to marry; and now I have engaged myself, and will not break from my engagement, unless it be shown to me that I am bound in honour to do so. Then, indeed--" "Oh, Herbert! I do not know what you mean." "I mean this: that I expect that Clara shall be received as my wife with open arms--" "And so she shall be if she comes." "Or else that some reason should be given me why she should not come. As to income, something must be done, I suppose. If the means at our disposal are less than I have been taught to believe, I at any rate will not complain. But they cannot, I think, be so small as to afford any just reason why I should not marry." "Your father, you see, is ill, and one can hardly talk to him fully upon such matters at present." "Then I will speak to Somers. He, at any rate, must know how the property is circumstanced, and I suppose he will not hesitate to tell me." "I don't think Somers can tell you anything." "Then what is it? As for the London estate, mother, that is all moonshine. What if it were gone altogether? It may be that it is that which vexes my father; but if so, it is a monomania." "Oh, my boy, do not use such a word!"