"What more appropriate," continued his cousin, "than that he should select a widow, even supposing she has children. He has plenty of money. I can see how it would make you feel sore and change your home feeling at first; but Uncle Richard has such a level head, you may be certain that the lady is such a one as you will like after a time." Jack gave a short, unmirthful laugh. "The lady hasn’t any children. What a pity you can’t see her! She is a little girl who went to school with me at home; and she has an invalid mother, some younger sisters, and a brother on her hands." Page raised his heavy eyebrows and gave a soft whistle. "As they have nothing in the world, they have roped father in." "That’s bad!" admitted the older man with some sympathetic disgust. "Then you have quarreled with Uncle Richard, for of course you attempted to dissuade him." "Not at all. I arrived home to find the engagement a fixed fact and all the parties satisfied. What was there to be done?" "You didn’t come away without saying anything?" "No, no. I wouldn’t do that, and I believe that in place of anything else to be proud of, I shall always be proud of having had some self-control in that last interview with father. I knew all the time, hot and angry as I was, that if I said to him what I felt, I should repent of hurting him all my life. He is the noblest man, the best father, that ever lived." The speaker’s eyes grew bright, and Page believed it was with moisture. "I’m glad to hear you say that," he rejoined heartily. "You are right, I know. Uncle Richard is one man in a thousand, and it would be easy enough to believe that even a young girl might feel a deep and romantic attachment for him." Van Tassel shook his head. "You are all off again. Say all you like in praise of father, but"— "But why be prejudiced?" suggested Page hopefully. "This Miss—Miss"— "Bryant." "Why should you, on the circumstantial evidence of her family’s need, decide that she is only mercenary? Perhaps she loves"— "And perhaps she doesn’t," interrupted Jack impatiently. "She says she doesn’t." "What?" "Yes, Clover is a very honest girl, and she was good enough to inform me of the neutral state of her affections." "Well, well! I must say Uncle Richard is beginning to puzzle me. He has seen this girl grow up. Is she so irresistibly beautiful?"