"Now, Isabel, let me advise you. You cannot be so unjust to Mr Owen as to make him fancy for a moment that you will refuse your uncle's money. Think of his position,--about two hundred and fifty a year in all! With your two hundred added it would be positive comfort; without it you would be frightfully poor." "Do you think I have not thought of it?" "I suppose you must. But then you are so odd and so hard, so unlike any other girl I ever saw. I don't see how you could have the face to refuse the money, and then to eat his bread." This was an unfortunate speech as coming from Mrs Brodrick, because it fortified Isabel in the reply she was bound to make. Hitherto the stepmother had thought it certain that the marriage would take place in spite of such maiden denials as the girl had made; but now the denial had to be repeated with more than maiden vigour. "I have thought of it," said Isabel,--"thought of it very often, till I have told myself that conduct such as that would be inexpressibly base. What! to eat his bread after refusing him mine when it was believed to be so plentiful! I certainly have not face enough to do that,--neither face nor courage for that. There are ignoble things which require audacity altogether beyond my reach." "Then you must accept the money from your cousin." "Certainly not," said Isabel; "neither that nor yet the position which Mr Owen will perhaps offer me again." "Of course he will offer it to you." "Then he must be told that on no consideration can his offer be accepted." "This is nonsense. You are both dying for each other." "Then we must die. But as for that, I think that neither men nor young women die for love now-a-days. If we love each other, we must do without each other, as people have to learn to do without most of the things that they desire." "I never heard of such nonsense, such wickedness! There is the money. Why should you not take it?" "I can explain to you, mother," she said sternly, it being her wont to give the appellation but very seldom to her stepmother, "why I should not take Mr Owen, but I cannot tell you why I cannot take my cousin's money. I can only simply assure you that I will not do so, and that I most certainly shall never marry any man who would accept it." "I consider that to be actual wickedness,--wickedness against your own father." "I have told papa. He knows I will not have the money."