"You are fond of luxury?" "Yes, madam." "Horses, wines, carriages?" "Excuse me--no." "What then?" "The luxury of seeing my orphan sister surrounded with every comfort." A flush passed over Philippa's face, and she turned away; but she was not satisfied. "There is a very plain and easy way to arrive at wealth, sir," she said; "law is so slow." "Please indicate it." "Marry an heiress." There was a silence after these words; and Philippa could scarcely sustain the clear fixed look which he bent upon her face. "Is that your advice, madam?" he said coldly. "I thank you for it." His tone piqued her. "Then follow it," she said. "Excuse me again." "Is it not friendly?" "Possibly, but not to my taste." "Why, sir?" "First, because the course you suggest is not very honorable; secondly, and in another aspect, it is very disgraceful; again, it is too expensive, if I may be permitted to utter what seems to be, but is not, a very rude and cynical speech." "Not honorable--disgraceful--too expensive! Indeed! Why, sir, you at once exclude heiresses from matrimony." "Not so, madam." "Not honorable!" "I think it is not honorable to acquire wealth, for the best purpose in the world, by giving the hand and not the heart." "The hand and the heart!--who speaks of heart in these days? But you say it is even disgraceful to marry an heiress." "Not at all; but if a man does not love a woman, is it not disgraceful in the full sense of that word, madam, to unite himself to her, or rather to her money bags, only that he may procure the means of living in luxury, and gratifying his expensive tastes and vices?" "If he does not _love_ her, you say. _Love!_ that is a very pretty word, and rhymes, I believe, to _dove_! Well, sir, you have endeavored to establish your point by the aid of two delightful phrases, 'the hand and not the _heart_'--'the man who does not _love_ a woman'--beautiful words, only I don't believe in them. Now be good enough to explain your third point:--how is it too 'expensive' to marry a wealthy woman? I know you gentlemen at the college are inveterate logicians, and find little difficulty in proving that twice two's five, and that black is irreproachable white--that fire is cold--ice, hot--smoke, heavy--and lead light as thistle-down. Still I imagine you will find it difficult to show that 'tis _expensive_ to marry, let us say, fifty thousand pounds a year!" Mowbray looked at her face a moment, and sighed; a great hope seemed to be leaving him; when he spoke, it was with manifest repugnance. "Let us dismiss this singular subject, madam," he said calmly; "I spoke too thoughtlessly. See that lovely humming-bird around the honeysuckle, searching in vain for honey." "As I do for your reasons, sir," said Philippa curtly. "My reasons?" "You refuse to explain----"