"A fine _vulgar_ woman," corrected Travice, with a marked stress upon the word. "I always had an instinctive dread of vulgar people myself. I certainly never could have believed I should voluntarily ally myself with one." "Never marry for looks, my boy," said Mr. Arkell in an eager whisper. "Some, who have done so before you, have awoke to find they had made a cruel mistake." "Most likely, sir, if they married for looks alone." Mr. Arkell glanced keenly at his son. "Travice, have I your full confidence? I wish you would give it me." "In what way?" inquired Travice. "Why do you ask that?" "Am I right in suspecting that you have cherished a different attachment?" The tell-tale blood dyed Travice Arkell's brow. Mr. Arkell little needed other answer. "My boy, let there be no secrets between us. You know that your welfare and happiness--your _happiness_, Travice--lie nearest to my heart. Have you learnt to love Lucy Arkell?" "Yes," said Travice; and there was a whole world of pain in the simple answer. "I thought so. I thought I saw the signs of it a long while ago; but, Travice, it would never do." "You would object to her?" "Object to her!--to Lucy!--to Peter's child! No. She is one of the sweetest girls living; I am not sure but I love her more than I do my own: and I wish she could be my real daughter and your wife. But it cannot be, Travice. There are impediments in the way, on her side and on yours; and your own sense must tell you this as well as I can." He could not gainsay it. The impediments were all too present to Travice every hour of his life. "You cannot take a portionless wife. Lucy has nothing now, or in prospect, beyond any little trifle that may come to her hereafter at Mildred's death; but I don't suppose Mildred can have saved much. It is said, too, that Lucy is likely to marry Tom Palmer." "I know she is," bitterly acquiesced Travice. "Lucy, then, for both these reasons, is out of the question. Have you not realized to your own mind the fact that she is?" "Oh yes." "Then, Travice, the matter resolves itself into a very small compass. It stands alone; it has no extraneous drawbacks; it can rest upon its own merits or demerits. Will you, or will you not, marry Miss Fauntleroy?" Travice remained silent. "It will be well for me that you should, for the temporary use of money that would then be yours would save us, as you know, from a ruinous loss; but, Travice, I would not, for the wealth of worlds, put that consideration against your happiness; but there is another consideration that I cannot put away from me, and that is, that the marriage will make you independent. For your sake, I should like to see you marry Miss Fauntleroy." "She----"