"
She lifted her head and looked him full in the face, and then paused.
He had a cup of tea in his hand, and held it in the air half way to
his mouth, while his whole face showed the over-mastering anxiety with
which he was awaiting her reply.
"Make your mind easy, father," she said, "I am going to marry Mr.
Cossey."
He put the cup down in such a fashion that he spilt half the tea, most
of it over his own clothes, without even noticing it, and then turned
away his face.
"Well," he said, "of course it is not my affair, or at least only
indirectly so, but I must say, my love, I congratulate you on the
decision which you have come to. I quite understand that you have been
in some difficulty about the matter; young women often have been
before you, and will be again. But to be frank, Ida, that Quaritch
business was not at all suitable, either in age, fortune, or in
anything else. Yes, although Cossey is not everything that one might
wish, on the whole I congratulate you."
"Oh, pray don't," broke in Ida, almost with a cry. "Whatever you do,
pray do not congratulate me!"
Her father turned round again and looked at her. But Ida's face had
already recovered its calm, and he could make nothing of it.
"I don't quite understand you," he said; "these things are generally
considered matters for congratulation.
Pages:
456
457
458
459
460
461
462
463
464
465
466
467
468
469
470
471
472
473
474
475
476
477
478
479
480