"After all, Pen," the Major said, with a convenient frankness that did
not displease the boy, whilst it advanced the interests of the
negotiator, "you must bear in mind that you are throwing yourself away.
Your mother may submit to your marriage as she would to anything else you
desired, if you did but cry long enough for it: but be sure of this, that
it can never please her. You take a young woman off the boards of a
country theatre and prefer her, for such is the case, to one of the
finest ladies in England. And your mother will submit to your choice, but
you can't suppose that she will be happy under it. I have often fancied,
entre nous, that my sister had it in her eye to make a marriage between
you and that little ward of hers--Flora, Laura--what's her name? And I
always determined to do my small endeavour to prevent any such match. The
child has but two thousand pounds, I am given to understand. It is only
with the utmost economy and care that my sister can provide for the
decent maintenance of her house, and for your appearance and education as
a gentleman; and I don't care to own to you that I had other and much
higher views for you. With your name and birth, sir--with your talents,
which I suppose are respectable, with the friends whom I have the honour
to possess, I could have placed you in an excellent position--a
remarkable position for a young man of such exceeding small means, and
had hoped to see you, at least, try to restore the honours of our name.
Your mother's softness stopped one prospect, or you might have been a
general, like our gallant ancestor who fought at Ramillies and
Malplaquet. I had another plan in view: my excellent and kind friend,
Lord Bagwig, who is very well disposed towards me, would, I have little
doubt, have attached you to his mission at Pumpernickel, and you might
have advanced in the diplomatic service. But, pardon me for recurring to
the subject; how is a man to serve a young gentleman of eighteen, who
proposes to marry a lady of thirty, whom he has selected from a booth in
a fair?--well, not a fair,--a barn. That profession at once is closed to