"Well," he said with a pause of much consideration, "had the boy proposed to _you_, the answer would have lain with you of course--but I think it quite possible that some time or other in her life, Hester might remember that her old home in all its revenues, and, I have no doubt, a very worthy and generous youth along with them, had been laid at her feet, and her father, on his own responsibility, threw them away." "Osborne!" cried my father--I almost expected he would command him away, and bid him never more enter our house. I am sure I felt that I never could address him with ordinary civility again--but instead of that, after a moment's pause, my father resumed, in vehement tones certainly, but not in tones of anger at the speaker. "Generous! and you think I would give my daughter to one who sought her from a generous impulse; you forget my life and you forget me." How my heart throbbed and resounded in its quick and painful beating!--I cannot tell how strangely I felt the possibility that I myself might one day or other realize in my own person the misfortune of my father's life. Yes, Mr. Osborne was right thus far, I had not been thinking of nothing while I sat in the sunshine working at my embroidery. I had already seen dimly through the golden mists the hero, the prince, the red cross knight. I had already seen myself worshipped with the pure devotedness of chivalry. I had already, like a true girl and woman, imagined all manner of glories and honors won for me by my true knight, and prized because they made _him_ nobler, and not because they exalted me. Yes! I had been dreaming innocent, beautiful, unworldly dreams--when lo! there fell upon me a vision of my cousin Edgar, and his _generous_ impulse. I clenched my hands upon my little plant in a passion of indignation. The words stung me to the heart. "Well--I am not astonished that you regard it in this light," said Mr. Osborne, "but you must confess, at the same time, Southcote, that there is a more common sense way of looking at it. The boy is a good boy, and feels that he has been the means of injuring his cousin--what more natural than that the two branches of the family should unite their claims in this most satisfactory way--what is your objection to it? A punctilio? Come, don't talk of it to Hester yet--let's have a fight, old friend. I flatter myself you were none the worse in the old days of arguing out the matter with Frank Osborne. Now, then, for your arguments. Heigho! Howard, my boy, do you recollect the last time?"