"I don't like it, George."

"You mayn't like it, John, but you will do it. I am not going to
have my girl run after by ruined spendthrifts who want her money
to repair their fortunes; and I tell you frankly, if you refuse I
shall go up to town tomorrow, and I shall make a new will, leaving
all my property to your son, subject to a life annuity of 200 pounds
a year to the child, and ordering that, in the event of his dying
before he comes of age, or of refusing to accept the provisions
of the will, or handing any of the property or money over to my
daughter, the whole estate, money, jewels, and all, shall go to
the London hospitals, subject, as before, to the annuity.

"Don't be an ass, brother John. Do you think that I don't know what
I am doing? I have seen enough of the evils of marrying for money
out in India. Every ship that comes out brings so many girls sent
out to some relation to be put on the marriage market, and marrying
men old enough to be pretty nearly their grandfathers, with the
natural consequence that there is the devil to pay before they
have been married a year or two. Come, you know you will do it;
why not give in at once, and have done with it? It is not a bad
thing for you, it will be a good thing for your boy, it will save
my girl from fortune hunters, and enable me to die quietly and
comfortably."

"All right, George, I will do it. Mind, I don't do it willingly,
but I do it for your sake."

"That is right," Colonel Thorndyke said, holding out his thin bronzed
hand to his brother; "that is off my mind. Now, there is only one