"It is not for me," I said, "to advise or interfere with you or Ruth or your children. If--as I pray--Culroyd comes through unscathed, he has all the world before him, and you have only to see that he does not marry below his station. With Phyllida you must be more careful. She is young, attractive, well-dowered and a little, just a _little_ headstrong. The war has made our girls quite absurdly romantic; any one in uniform, especially if he has been wounded... And you, who are rich, perhaps hardly realize as well as do we, who are poor, the tricks and _crimes_ that a man will commit to marry a fortune. I do not suggest that Phyllida should be withdrawn from her hospital--" "Oh, she's signed on for the duration of the war," Brackenbury interrupted. "But I do think," I resumed, "that you should keep an eye on her..." Perhaps there was never anything in it; but _one_ young man whom Phyllida brought to Mount Street, a Colonel Butler, one of her own patients... Oh, quite a presentable, manly young fellow, but _hopelessly_ unsuitable for _Phyllida_! My boy Will first put me on my guard when he was last home on leave; not that _he_ had any personal interest, for all her four thousand a year or whatever it is, but they _have_ always been brought up like brother and sister... My last act before coming here was to make Colonel Butler promise not to see or communicate with Phyllida until he had spoken frankly to Brackenbury. I understand that he has been invited to the Hall "on approval", as Will would say; and then we shall see what we shall see. I fancy he will have the good sense to recognize that such an alliance would be out of the question: every one would say that he had married her for her money, and no man of any pride would tolerate that... Phyllida, robbed of her stolen joys, was of course furious with me for what she was courteous enough to call my "interference." ... "Her head is screwed on quite tight," said Brackenbury, "though I have no idea what you're insinuating." "I am insinuating nothing," I said, "but _do_ you want to see your only daughter married for her money by some penniless soldier--?" "If she's in love with him, I don't care who she marries," said Brackenbury with a quite extraordinary callousness. "He must be a decent fellow, of course, who'll make her happy. I don't attach the importance to Debrett that you do, Ann, especially since the war." As _he_ had said it! I was _mute_... Every one is aware that poor Ruth was _nobody_--the rich daughter of a Hull shipping-magnate. I made him marry her because he _had_ to marry some one with a little money--and much good it has been to anybody!,--but I hardly expected to hear him _boasting_ or encouraging his _children_ to pretend that there are no distinctions...