They thought--"
"Yes!" George said bitterly. "I should like to hear what they
thought!"
"They thought it would be the most straightforward thing."
George drew a long breath. "Well, what do you think, mother?"
"I thought it would be the simplest and most straightforward thing; I
thought they were right."
"Very well! We'll agree it was simple and straightforward. Now, what
do you think of that letter itself?"
She hesitated, looking away. "I--of course I don't agree with him in
the way he speaks of you, dear--except about the angel! I don't agree
with some of the things he implies. You've always been unselfish--
nobody knows that better than your mother. When Fanny was left with
nothing, you were so quick and generous to give up what really should
have come to you, and--"
"And yet," George broke in, "you see what he implies about me. Don't
you think, really, that this was a pretty insulting letter for that
man to be asking you to hand your son?"
"Oh, no!" she cried. "You can see how fair he means to be, and he
didn't ask for me to give it to you.
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