With him
the same feeling was almost the stronger because he was so well
aware of the blot upon himself caused by the lowness of his own
father's marriage. But a man, he held, could raise a woman to his
own rank, whereas a woman must accept the level of her husband.
"Bread and meat and chairs and tables are very serious things,
Reg."
"You would then recommend her to take this man, and pass altogether
out of your own sphere?"
"What can I do for her? I am an old woman who will be dead probably
before the first five years of her married life have passed over
her. And as for recommending, I do not know enough to recommend
anything. Does she like the man?"
"I am sure she would feel herself degraded by marrying him."
"I trust she will never live to feel herself degraded. I do not
believe that she could do anything that she thought would degrade
her. But I think that you and I had better leave her to herself in
this matter." Further on in the same evening, or rather late in the
night,--for they had then sat talking together for hours over the
fire,--she made a direct statement to him. "When I die, Reg, I have
but 5,000 pounds to leave behind me, and this I have divided
between you and her. I shall not tell her because I might do
more harm than good. But you may know."
"That would make no difference to me," he said.
Pages:
283
284
285
286
287
288
289
290
291
292
293
294
295
296
297
298
299
300
301
302
303
304
305
306
307