But how you could tell
surpasses me, and it shows that he must be very often in your mind:"
the Admiral thought he had caught her there. "Now can you say anything
against him? Is he not honest, manly, single-minded, faithful as
yourself, I do believe, good-looking, well-bred, a Tory, and a
gentleman, certain to make any woman happy whom he loves? Can you say a
syllable against all that?"
"No," replied Faith--a very long, slow "no," as if she only wished she
could say something hard about him.
"Very well," her father went on, with triumph, "and can you deny that
he is just the person you might have taken a great liking to--fallen
in love with, as they call it--if only he had come before your mind
was full of somebody else--a very fine young fellow, no doubt; but--my
darling, I won't say a word against him, only you know what I mean too
well. And are you forever to be like a nun because it has pleased the
Lord to take him from you?"
"Lord Dashville has not advanced himself in my good opinion, if he cares
for that," said Faith, starting sideways, as a woman always does, from
the direct issue, "by going to you, when I declined to have anything
more to say to him."
"My dear, you are unjust," replied Sir Charles; "not purposely, I know,
for you are the most upright darling that can be, in general. But you
accuse young Dashville of what he never did. It was his good mother, the
Countess of Blankton, a most kind-hearted and lady-like person, without
any nonsense about her, who gave me the best cup of tea I ever tasted,
and spoke with the very best feeling possible.
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