"You see, Vin, it isn’t only in plays that fathers get angry—unfortunately, it sometimes happens in real life; and occasionally they get very angry indeed. According to your own showing, if your father refused to acknowledge this marriage—if he declared he would have nothing further to do with you—you would find yourself in rather desperate straits. Why should you, with your eyes open, walk into any such straits? You know what may happen. And then—with a young wife—with next to no resources—what would you do? Let us come to one definite and immediate thing, that I hope is not far off now; who would pay your election expenses at Mendover?" "You yourself, Musselburgh, in the interests of the party!" "I am glad you can make a jest of the situation, Vin——" "No, really, I don’t," Vincent said, more seriously. "But if I were to ask for my father’s consent I should not get it—I know that quite well; and meanwhile this girl is supposed to be—oh, I need not name the things! You don’t understand! She is my dearest in all the world; how can I stand by and allow these base accusations to be brought against her, without protest? And that would be my protest! That would show them what I thought of their mean suspicions and their preposterous charges." "And thereafter?" said Lord Musselburgh. "Thereafter? Well, as I say, my father might show some common sense and accept the thing, seeing it was done. I can tell you it isn’t very pleasant to find myself so dependent on any other human being’s reasonableness. I haven’t been used to it. I dare say I have been spoiled—things made too easy for me. And now when I look round and wonder what I could turn to, I suppose I am simply in the position of a thousand others, who haven’t had any special training. The few articles I have written have paid me well enough; but at present I don’t see anything substantial and permanent in that direction. If you were in office I should ask you for a private secretaryship——" "Why not ask someone who is in office?" "I could not change my coat quite so quickly as that."