“I have acknowledged to you, Mr. Sherwin, that I have found means to speak to your daughter—­to speak to her twice.  I made my advances honourably.  She received them with a modesty and a reluctance worthy of herself, worthy of any lady, the highest lady in the land.” (Mr. Sherwin looked round reverentially to his print of the Queen; then looked back at me, and bowed solemnly.) “Now, although in so many words she directly discouraged me—­it is her due that I should say this—­still, I think I may without vanity venture to hope that she did so as a matter of duty, more than as a matter of inclination.”

“Ah—­yes, yes!  I understand.  She would do nothing without my authority, of course?”

“No doubt that was one reason why she received me as she did; but she had another, which she communicated to me in the plainest terms—­the difference in our rank of life.”

“Ah! she said that, did she?  Exactly so—­she saw a difficulty there?  Yes—­yes! high principles, Sir—­high principles, thank God!”

“I need hardly tell you, Mr. Sherwin, how deeply I feel the delicate sense of honour which this objection shows on your daughter’s part.  You will easily imagine that it is no objection to me, personally.  The happiness of my whole life depends on Miss Sherwin; I desire no higher honour, as I can conceive no greater happiness, than to be your daughter’s husband.  I told her this:  I also told her that I would explain myself on the subject to you.  She made no objection; and I am, therefore, I think, justified in considering that if you authorised the removal of scruples which do her honour at present, she would not feel the delicacy she does now at sanctioning my addresses.”

“Very proper—­a very proper way of putting it.  Practical, if I may be allowed to say so.  And now, my dear Sir, the next point is:  how about your own honoured family—­eh?”

“It is exactly there that the difficulty lies.  My father, on whom I am dependent as the younger son, has very strong prejudices—­convictions I ought perhaps to call them—­on the subject of social inequalities.”

“Quite so—­most natural; most becoming, indeed, on the part of your respected father.  I honour his convictions, sir.  Such estates, such houses, such a family as his—­connected, I believe, with the nobility, especially on your late lamented mother’s side.  My dear Sir, I emphatically repeat it, your father’s convictions do him honour; I respect them as much as I respect him; I do, indeed.”

“I am glad you can view my father’s ideas on social subjects in so favourable a light, Mr. Sherwin.  You will be less surprised to hear how they are likely to affect me in the step I am now taking.”

“He disapproves of it, of course—­strongly, perhaps.  Well, though my dear girl is worthy of any station; and a man like me, devoted to mercantile interests, may hold his head up anywhere as one of the props of this commercial country,” (he ran his fingers rapidly through his hair, and tried to look independent), “still I am prepared to admit, under all the circumstances—­I say under all the circumstances—­that his disapproval is very natural, and was very much to be expected—­very much indeed.”