CHAPTER V. AN UNEASY MOTHER. When a few commonplaces had passed, George put his arm round Alice, saying, 'Come with me; I want to have a quiet chat with you;' and led her out of the room. As soon as Mrs Osborne found herself alone with Nevill, she turned to him, and smiling, said,-- 'George has informed me you wish to speak with me. We shall not be interrupted now.' 'I find myself in an exceedingly difficult position, a position in which I have never found myself before, and in which I hardly know how to go on.' She bowed very slightly, and awaited what further he had to say. 'The fact is, I have been a useless, worthless man all my life, Mrs Osborne, a wanderer over the face of the globe, never doing an honest day's work, and not caring particularly what happened to me or the world to-morrow. I am no longer a very young man. I begin to think of settling down, and I have decided upon settling down in the neighbourhood of Stratford, if you have no objection.' 'Why should I have any objection to your settling in Stratford?' 'Well, in this way. Suppose I settled in this neighbourhood, and bought a house, and lived a quiet homely English life, and got into such respectable society as would admit me, do you think you would have any objection, just because I'm ugly and the son of an English merchant, to my coming and seeing you occasionally?' 'Not the least. You must not say rude things of yourself.' She smiled. There was no denying he was ugly; but it was unusual to hear a man thus push his ugliness into prominence. Whatever his birth may have been he was not ashamed to own it. And what on earth could be better than an English merchant, except an English gentleman? And practically he was an English gentleman. He was modest enough; and then he might be so useful. If he would only promise to be useful it would be an enormous advantage in the unfortunate state of things now existing. 'I say ho rude things of myself. I know what I am. I have been about the world long enough to have lost all false shame. I hope I have not lost true shame with it. I am not ashamed of the business upon which I came here to you to-day.' Again she bowed. 'The fact is, Mrs Osborne, as you know, I met your son in London, and as everyone who meets him must, I took a great liking to him. He was in every way such a contrast to me; so quiet and retiring, and bashful and good. I also had the privilege of meeting your daughter, Miss Osborne, and I have come to you, Mrs Osborne, by her direction, to ask you if you would have any objection to my paying my addresses to her, with a view to my marrying her, if you are good enough to give me permission, and she is good enough to have me. Believe me, I am not saying what I should like to say in the matter. But I feel awkward. In fact, I am not accustomed to making--what rubbish am I talking! Be merciful, and take the will for the deed.'