The Dugdale Millions — page 292: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

282 THE DUGDALE MILLIONS, of words with you. Indeed I am not equal to it, for I have been more shocked than you evidently under- stand; I am very weak. Your use of that word is uniike you. In nothing that I said to you is there any justification for its use. But I do not propose to evade the responsibilities or consequences of my acts. I will tell you frankly, so that neither of us shall be under any misapprehension, that to-night Mr. Mason asked me to be his wife. And I said yes.” “You did?” almost shouted Mr. Hetlow. “Yes, [told him so,” she replied quietly. “Ithink I told you [ would; but i further told him that I would not marry him until I had gained your consent.” Mr. Hetlow stopped, so great was his astonishment at this concession of his daughter. Ever since their previous conversation, when she had turned from a child into a strong, determined woman displaying a Spirit as firm as his own, he had stcod somewhat in awe of her. That she had done that which she said she would do, and yet had made this concession to him, left him almost speechless, and he hardly knew how to meet the situation. “T am glad you have considered me,” he said, ira Strangely altered tone, ‘‘and I will insist that you keep to your promise, that you have thus made with- out its exaction on my part. ‘This is a serious matter, and I freely confess that I do not know how to deal with it. Until I shall have had timeto reason coolly and without prejudice upon it, I do not think it is too much to ask of you that you will keep it.” They walked on for some distance in silence. At length Mr. Hetlow spoke again; ‘This matter is full of embarrassments, anc I think that I have the right to exact the further promise from you that, until such time as I can arrive at a conclu- sion as to the proper course to pursue, Mason shall not be received at my house, and that you shall cease aii intercourse with him.” Comicboolkks C@ 3}