The Dugdale Millions — page 300: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

290 THE DUGDALE MILLIONS. ‘TI do not know your customs in the affairs of the heart,” he went on, “but I conceive that the duty rest- ing upon a man who has placed himself in the position I have, is the same here as at home. Therefore I fee] that I should not go further without acquainting you of what I have done and asking your acquiescence in further proceedings.” “I never was so much astonished in my life,” said the old lawyer, recovering himself. ‘I suppose since you have made the declaration to Wallis that there is little need of coming to me. Young ladies in this country seem to have taken it to themselves to settle these matters without the advice or assistance of their elders. But we all supposed here that Hetlow’s daughter was the one you sought.” “So I learned from Wallis,” replied Merrimount. ‘“ But it is not so. The proposition which I had the honor to submit to Mr. Hetlow, knowledge of which seems to have gone beyond us, has been wholly mis- apprehended. It had no relation to my choice of a wife.” “ Ah!” exclaimed Mr. Stanton. After a moment’s hesitation, he added, ‘I presume Wallis has given her consent ?” ‘‘Upon the countrary,” replied Merrimount, ‘she has not. She has left me to sue again, She did not deny me, nor did she forbid me to talk with her again upon the matter. Indeed I may say that she gave me permission to hope for a favorable response.” “Well,” said Mr. Stanton, “I doubt very much whether my consent, or the withholding of it, would be a factor in the problem. If Wallis wants to marry you she will, and if she don’t she won’t, and whatever side of the case I might be on I would exert no influence upon it. Iam free to say to you I have never fancied the idea of our American girls marrying foreigners, or into a rank of life so far removed from the habits and ideas they are accustomed to. The training and as- % CoOmicboolk<s 3}