"Nor his family; nor anything of their antecedents? He is a man fallen out of the moon. All that is nothing to us as passing acquaintances. Between men such ignorance should I think bar absolute intimacy;--but that may be a matter of taste. But it should be held to be utterly antagonistic to any such alliance as that of marriage. He seems to be a friend of yours. You had better make him understand that it is quite out of the question. I have told him so, and you had better repeat it." So saying, Mr. Wharton went upstairs to dress, and Everett, having received his father's instructions, went away to the club. When Mr. Wharton reached the drawing-room, he found Mrs. Roby alone, and he at once resolved to discuss the matter with her before he spoke to his daughter. "Harriet," he said abruptly, "do you know anything of one Mr. Lopez?" "Mr. Lopez! Oh yes, I know him." "Do you mean that he is an intimate friend?" "As friends go in London, he is. He comes to our house, and I think that he hunts with Dick." Dick was Mr. Roby. "That's a recommendation." "Well, Mr. Wharton, I hardly know what you mean by that," said Mrs. Roby, smiling. "I don't think, my husband will do Mr. Lopez any harm; and I am sure Mr. Lopez won't do my husband any." "I dare say not. But that's not the question. Roby can take care of himself." "Quite so." "And so I dare say can Mr. Lopez." At this moment Emily entered the room. "My dear," said her father, "I am speaking to your aunt. Would you mind going downstairs and waiting for us? Tell them we shall be ready for dinner in ten minutes." Then Emily passed out of the room, and Mrs. Roby assumed a grave demeanour. "The man we are speaking of has been to me and has made an offer for Emily." As he said this he looked anxiously into his sister-in-law's face, in order that he might tell from that how far she favoured the idea of such a marriage,--and he thought that he perceived at once that she was not averse to it. "You know it is quite out of the question," he continued. "I don't know why it should be out of the question. But of course your opinion would have great weight with Emily." "Great weight! Well;--I should hope so. If not, I do not know whose opinion is to have weight. In the first place the man is a foreigner." "Oh, no;--he is English. But if he were a foreigner: many English girls marry foreigners." "My daughter shall not;--not with my permission. You have not encouraged him, I hope." "I have not interfered at all," said Mrs. Roby. But this was a lie. Mrs. Roby had interfered. Mrs. Roby, in discussing the merits and character of the lover with the young lady, had always lent herself to the lover's aid,--and had condescended to accept from the lover various presents which she could hardly have taken had she been hostile to him. "And now tell me about herself. Has she seen him often?" "Why, Mr. Wharton, he has dined here, in the house, over and over again. I thought that you were encouraging him."