'I certainly do not pledge myself not to do so.'

'Do you mean to tell me, Henry, that you are in love with Miss Crawley?'
Then there was another pause, during which the archdeacon sat looking
for an answer; but the major never said a word. 'Am I to suppose that
you intend to lower yourself by marrying a young woman who cannot
possibly have enjoyed any of the advantages of a lady's education? I say
nothing of the imprudence of the thing; nothing of her own want of
fortune; nothing of your having to maintain a whole family steeped in
poverty; nothing of the debts and character of the father, upon whom, as
I understand, at this moment there rests a grave suspicion
of--of--of--what I'm afraid I must call downright theft.'

'Downright theft, certainly, if he were guilty.'

'I say nothing of that; but looking at the young woman herself--'

'She is simply the best educated girl whom it has ever been my lot to
meet.'

'Henry, I have a right to expect that you will be honest with me.'

'I am honest with you.'

'Do you mean to ask this girl to marry you?'

'I do not think that you have any right to ask me that question, sir.'

'I have a right at any rate to tell you this, that if you so far