‘Why, that before any gentleman proposes to be your husband, he must be prepared to satisfy me concerning his family, and his character, and his means of making a living. And I am afraid Mr Harland is _not_ prepared to do so.’ ‘Why should you say that, papa? I think it is bitterly unfair.’ ‘No, my dear! there ain’t no fairness nor unfairness about it. It’s just a matter of business. I’m sorry to see as Mr Harland is not a favourite aboard ship, and there’s one or two nasty tales floating about concerning his card-playing that have quite choked me off him. And so I consider it’s time I looked a bit after the way he’s going on with you. You see, my dear, I don’t know anything about the young man’s antecedents.’ ‘Then I wonder at your bringing him out to Tabbakooloo with us, papa.’ ‘Well, that was my mistake, Grace. But then I brought him out as a land-agent, remember, and not as a son-in-law! I can dismiss the one, but there’s no dismissing of the other. And so it behoves us to be careful. Now tell me candidly how far you’ve got with him.’ ‘I don’t understand you, papa,’ said Miss Grace, who, when offended, often professed not to be able to comprehend her parents’ meaning. ‘D--n it all, then, I’ll put it plainer,’ said Mr Vansittart, getting angry. ‘How much sweethearting’s gone on between you? Has he spoken to you of marriage?’ ‘Sometimes; naturally!’ ‘Has he asked you downright to marry him?’ ‘He has intimated that he wished it.’ ‘And what did you say?’ ‘Nothing, papa--’ ‘You’re not engaged to him, nor any rubbish of that sort, then?’ ‘Oh, no! How could I be, without asking your consent, and mamma’s? But Godfrey--I mean Mr Harland--has told me several times that he only waits till we arrive at Tabbakooloo to make formal proposals for my hand.’ ‘Formal fiddlesticks! If he was half a man, he’d have spoken up at once. I’m very much afraid it ain’t all right. And so, look here, my girl, whatever Harland may do when he gets ashore, remember it’s my orders as nothing more goes on between you now. When he speaks to me, he’ll get my answer; but I won’t have any more sweethearting aboard this ship; and if you disobey me, I shall take means to keep you apart.’ ‘But, papa, I can’t be cool to Mr Harland. Every one knows he is your agent.’ ‘I don’t want you to be cool to him, but I won’t have any love-making. Your mother saw him kiss you last night in the cabin passage. You must put a stop to that sort of thing at once. Do you fully understand me?’ ‘Fully,’ replied Miss Vansittart, who fully understood her own intentions also. ‘I don’t believe the fellow’s got a sixpence to jingle on a tombstone,’ continued Mr Vansittart, waxing warmer at his daughter’s reticence; ‘and a pauper don’t marry my only child. It’s like his impudence to dream of it. Not that I would have made his poverty an objection (having so much myself), if it hadn’t been for those other things. But a man as cheats at play, must be bad all round.’