“Dear madam, forgive me—forgive me—but why introduce this very embarrassing and highly exciting subject? I have had conflict enough in my own bosom about it. I love your favorite, I love her jealously, fiercely—I admit it—but there are objections and difficulties, which time, or a new set of circumstances, may remove; meanwhile, I could not bear to see her snatched from me. But there is time enough—even if I should decide upon such a step, there is time enough. Kate is very young yet.” “But you are not very young, Archer.” “I know it, dear madam. I have arrived at that age at which men do not make imprudent marriages for love.” “But when they too often make unhappy marriages of convenience. Dear Archer, it is a false and sinful principle that keeps you and Catherine apart. Will you spoil two lives by your pride? Your hesitation between inclination and prejudice, weakens you and destroys her.” “‘Prejudices,’ dear madam! Well, I suppose they are prejudices, but just think of the horror of having Carl Kavanagh, the farm laborer, for a brother-in-law, and being called ‘uncle’ by his ragged progeny!” “Oh, Archer, your inhumanity shocks me—they are human creatures, after all—this Carl and his family.” “And don’t you see besides, madam, that if I should marry Catherine, and introduce her into society, the first question would be, ‘Who is she?’ and the answer by some good-natured friend, ‘The sister of one of his farm-laborers,’ would expose us to contempt, if it did not rule us out of good company.” “Archer! Archer! can it be that you weigh these falsities with the deep realities of life?” “It is a deplorable thing, indeed, that a girl of such noble nature should come of such ignoble parentage.” “No! it is a congratulatory thing!—or would be so, if it were not such a usual thing! Archer, you will find more moral worth, and it may be more mental worth, among the so-called lower classes, than among the higher; for instance, among the men, look at some of their brows, of Shaksperian height and breadth—think what they would be with cultivation! And I tell you, with all their disadvantages, the lower classes will give to our republic the greatest of her future great men.”[2] Footnote 2: The history of most prominent men of the day verifies the prediction. Major Clifton remained in deep thought for awhile, and then taking the hand of the lady, said— “My dear mother, the objections that I have advanced are those that have arisen in my mind, from time to time, giving me much pain. I wished to hold them up before myself, as I have just done, in order to see what they really consisted of, and looked like. I have seen the worst of them, and in their ugliest light, and they will not deter me from taking to my heart the girl I love. I have weighed them, and the whole mass is light in the balance with my need of Catherine. I will marry her. I will go and tell her so now. And the ceremony shall be performed whenever you think proper.”