"But my daughter--Julia--"
"Do not speak of her in this connection, I implore you, Mr. Clifford.
Let her name remain pure, uncontaminated by any considerations,
whether of mere gain or of the fraud which the gain is supposed
to involve. Freely would I give the sum in question, were it mine,
and all the wealth besides that I ever expect to acquire, to make
Julia Clifford my wife;--but I can not suffer myself, in such a
case as this, to accept her as a bribe, and to sanction crime. Nay,
I am sure that she too would be the first to object."
"And so you really refuse? Well, the world's coming to a pretty
pass. But I told Mr. Clifford, months ago, that you had quite forgot
yourself, ever since you had grown so great with the Edgertons,
and the Blakes, and Fortescues, and all them high-headed people.
But I'm sure, Mr. Edward Clifford, my daughter needn't go a-begging
to any man; and as for this business, whatever you may say against
young Perkins, I'll take his opinion of the law against that of
any other young lawyer in the country. He's as good as the best,
I'm thinking."
"Your opinion is your own, Mrs. Clifford, but I beg to set you right
on the subject of mine. I did not say anything against Mr. Perkins."
"Oh, I beg your pardon; I'm sure you did. You said he was nothing
of a lawyer, and something more."
Was there ever a more perverse and evil and silly woman! I contented
myself with assuring her that she was mistaken and had very much
misunderstood me--took pains to repeat what I had really said, and
then cut short an interview that had been painful and humbling to
me on many grounds. I left the happy pair tête-à-tête, in their
princely parlor together, little fancying that there was another
argument which had been prepared to overthrow my feeble virtue.
But all this had been arranged by the small cunning of this really
witless couple. I was left to find my way down stairs as I might;
and just when I was about to leave the dwelling--vexed to the heart
at the desperate stolidity of the miserable man, whom avarice and
weakness were about to expose to a loss which might be averted in
part, and an exposure to infamy which might wholly be avoided--I
was encountered by the attenuated form and wan countenance of his
suffering but still lovely daughter.