"All the same, a man with one eye can see that women with money, or anything that makes them independent of us, don't flatter us by their alacrity to marry us. They will make fools of themselves for love--none greater--and they will marry for love. But their different attitude towards us, their natural lords and masters, directly we are no longer necessary to them as stepping-stones to a home and a recognized position, revolts me. If you had taken my advice at the start, you would have made up to one among the mob of women who are dependent on marriage for their very existence. If a man goes into that herd he will not be refused. And if he is it does not matter. It is the blessed custom of piling everything on to the eldest son, and leaving the women of the family almost penniless, which provides half of us with wives without any trouble to ourselves. Whatever we are, they have got to take us. The average dancing young woman living in luxury in her father's house is between the devil and the deep sea. We are frequently the devil; but it is not surprising that she can't face the alternative--a poverty to which she was not brought up, and in which she has seen her old spinster aunts. But I suppose in your case you really want the money?" Dick looked rather hard at Lord Newhaven. "I should not have said that unless I had known it to be a lie," continued the latter, "because I dislike being kicked. But, Dick, listen to me. You have not," with sudden misgiving, "laid any little matrimonial project before her this evening, have you?" "No; I was not quite such a fool as that." "Well! Such things do occur. Moonlight, you know, etc. I was possessed by a devil once, and proposed by moonlight, as all my wife's friends know, and probably her maid. But, seriously, Dick, you are not making progress, as you say yourself." "Well!" rather sullenly. "Well, on-lookers see most of the game. Miss West may--I don't say she is--but if things go on as they are for another week she may become slightly bored. That was why I joined you at supper. She had had, for the time, enough." "Of me?" said Dick, reddening under his tan. "Just so. It is a matter of no importance after marriage, but it should be avoided beforehand. Are you really in earnest about this?" Dick delivered himself slowly and deliberately of certain platitudes. "Well, I hope I shall hear you say all that again some day in a condensed form before a clergyman. In the meanwhile--" "In the meanwhile I had better clear out." "Yes; I don't enjoy saying so in the presence of my own galantine and mayonnaise, but that is it. Go, and--come back." "If you have a Bradshaw," said Dick, "I'll look out my train now. I think there is an express to London about seven in the morning, if you can send me to the station." "But the post only comes in at eight." "Well, you can send my letters after me."