“There may be something in that; but if you advance it as an argument for me to change my mind in this matter of a prudent delay, it is thrown away upon me.  You should know me well enough to know that I never change my mind.”

Rule did know it.  But he answered earnestly: 

“I accept your conditions, Mr. Rockharrt.  I will wait and work as long for Cora as Jacob did for Rachel, if necessary.  Cora has been the inspiration of all that I have wrought, endured and achieved—­and she was all that to me long before I dreamed of aspiring to her hand in marriage, and she will be as long as we both shall live in this world or the world to come.”

Rule bowed and left.  He at once recounted to Cora the interview and the condition imposed on him.

When the short season ended, and the city was tilted upside down and emptied like a bucket of half its contents, the Rockharrts went with the rest.

Old Aaron was in his very worst fit of sullen ferocity.  He had not been able to get a charter for clearing out the channel of the Cumberland River (another pet project of his), or even to form a company strong enough to undertake the enterprise.

After a while, out of restlessness, he started with his wife, granddaughter and grandson for a tour to the Northern Pacific Coast.  He spent some time in traveling through that region of country, and returned East.

He stopped at West Point to leave Sylvan Haught, who had successfully passed his examination and received his appointment at the military academy.

Then he took his womenkind home to Rockhold.

A few days later young Rothsay was elected senator.

Some weeks later Rothsay again pressed his suit on the attention of Mr.
Rockharrt.

But the old man was adamant.

“No, sir, no!  You must have a firmer foundation to build upon than the fickle favor of the public.  Wait a year or two longer.  Let us see whether your success is to be permanent.”

“But,” urged Rule, “my chosen bride is twenty-three years of age, and I am twenty-seven.  Time is flying.”

“What has that got to do with the question?  If you were to marry this morning, would that stop the flight of time?  Would not time fly just as fast as ever?  Suppose you should not marry for two years?  My granddaughter would then be twenty-five and you thirty, and many wise philosophers think that such are the relative ages at which man and woman should marry.  Then the Iron King cast a thunderbolt.  He said: 

“I am going to take my girl on a trip to Europe this summer.  When we return, it will be time enough to talk about marriage.”

Rule bowed a reluctant admission to this mandate.  He knew well that argument would be thrown away upon the Iron King, and he knew that, even if he himself were tempted to try to persuade Cora to marry him at present, she would not do so in opposition to her grandfather’s will.