ambiguous language of what a ‘gentleman’ would or would not do. He might disapprove of this man altogether as a son-in-law, – and at the present momenthe thought that he did, – but still the man was entitled to a civil answer. How were lovers to approach the ladies of their love in any manner more respectful thanthis? ‘Mr Lopez,’ he said, ‘you must forgive me if I say that you are comparatively a stranger to us.’
‘That is an accident which would be easily cured if your will in that direction were as good as mine.’
‘But, perhaps, it isn’tOne has to be explicit in these matters. A daughter’s happiness is a very serious consideration; – and some people, among whom I confess that I am one, consider that like should marry like. I should wish to see my daughter marry, – not only in my own sphere, neither higher nor lower, – but with someone of my own class.’
‘I hardly know, Mr Wharton, whether that is intended to exclude me.’
‘Well,– to tell you the truth I know nothing about you. I don’t know who your father was, – whether he was an Englishman, whether he was a Christian, whether he was a Protestant, – not even whether he was a gentleman. These are questions which I should not dream of asking under any other circumstances; – would be matters with which I should have no possible concern, if you were simply an acquaintance.But when you talk to a man about his daughter –!’
‘I acknowledge freely your right of inquiry.’
‘And I know nothing of your means; – nothing whatever. I understand that you live as a man of fortune, but I presume that you earn your bread. I know nothing of the way in which you earn it, nothing of the certainty or amount of your means.’
‘Those things are of course matters for inquiry; but mayI presume that you have no objection which satisfactory answers to such questions may not remove?’
‘I shall never willingly give my daughter to anyone who is not the son of an English gentleman. It may be a prejudice, but that is my feeling.’
‘My father was certainly not an English gentleman. He was a Portuguese.’ In admitting this, and in thus subjecting himself at once to one clearly-statedground of objection, – the objection being one which, though admitted, carried with itself neither fault nor disgrace, – Lopez felt that he had got a certain advantage. He could not get over the fact that he was the son of a Portuguese parent, but by admitting that openly he thought he might avoid present discussion on matters which might, perhaps, be more disagreeable, but to whichhe need notallude if the accident of his birth were to be taken by the father as settling the question.
‘My mother was an English lady,’ he added, ‘but my father certainly was not an Englishman. I never had the common happiness of knowing either of them. I was an orphan before I understood what it was to have a parent.’
This was said with a pathos which for the moment stopped the expression of any furtherharsh criticism from the lawyer. Mr Wharton could not instantly repeat his objection to a parentage which was matter for such melancholy reflections; but he felt at the same time that as he had luckily landed himself on a positive and undeniable ground of objection to a match which was distasteful to him, it would be unwise for him to go to other matters in which he might be less successful. Bydoing so, he would seem to abandon the ground which he had already made good. He thought it probable that the man might have an adequate income, and yet he did not wish to welcome him as a son-in-law. He thought it possible that the Portuguese father might be a Portuguese nobleman, and therefore one whom he would be driven to admit to have been in some sort a gentleman; – but yet this man who wasnow in his presence and whom he continued to scan with the closest observation, was not what he called a gentleman. The foreign blood was proved, and that would suffice. As he looked
‘That is an accident which would be easily cured if your will in that direction were as good as mine.’
‘But, perhaps, it isn’tOne has to be explicit in these matters. A daughter’s happiness is a very serious consideration; – and some people, among whom I confess that I am one, consider that like should marry like. I should wish to see my daughter marry, – not only in my own sphere, neither higher nor lower, – but with someone of my own class.’
‘I hardly know, Mr Wharton, whether that is intended to exclude me.’
‘Well,– to tell you the truth I know nothing about you. I don’t know who your father was, – whether he was an Englishman, whether he was a Christian, whether he was a Protestant, – not even whether he was a gentleman. These are questions which I should not dream of asking under any other circumstances; – would be matters with which I should have no possible concern, if you were simply an acquaintance.But when you talk to a man about his daughter –!’
‘I acknowledge freely your right of inquiry.’
‘And I know nothing of your means; – nothing whatever. I understand that you live as a man of fortune, but I presume that you earn your bread. I know nothing of the way in which you earn it, nothing of the certainty or amount of your means.’
‘Those things are of course matters for inquiry; but mayI presume that you have no objection which satisfactory answers to such questions may not remove?’
‘I shall never willingly give my daughter to anyone who is not the son of an English gentleman. It may be a prejudice, but that is my feeling.’
‘My father was certainly not an English gentleman. He was a Portuguese.’ In admitting this, and in thus subjecting himself at once to one clearly-statedground of objection, – the objection being one which, though admitted, carried with itself neither fault nor disgrace, – Lopez felt that he had got a certain advantage. He could not get over the fact that he was the son of a Portuguese parent, but by admitting that openly he thought he might avoid present discussion on matters which might, perhaps, be more disagreeable, but to whichhe need notallude if the accident of his birth were to be taken by the father as settling the question.
‘My mother was an English lady,’ he added, ‘but my father certainly was not an Englishman. I never had the common happiness of knowing either of them. I was an orphan before I understood what it was to have a parent.’
This was said with a pathos which for the moment stopped the expression of any furtherharsh criticism from the lawyer. Mr Wharton could not instantly repeat his objection to a parentage which was matter for such melancholy reflections; but he felt at the same time that as he had luckily landed himself on a positive and undeniable ground of objection to a match which was distasteful to him, it would be unwise for him to go to other matters in which he might be less successful. Bydoing so, he would seem to abandon the ground which he had already made good. He thought it probable that the man might have an adequate income, and yet he did not wish to welcome him as a son-in-law. He thought it possible that the Portuguese father might be a Portuguese nobleman, and therefore one whom he would be driven to admit to have been in some sort a gentleman; – but yet this man who wasnow in his presence and whom he continued to scan with the closest observation, was not what he called a gentleman. The foreign blood was proved, and that would suffice. As he looked
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