"
"And you expect me to give my consent to this accursed marriage?"
"I neither expect, nor ask it from you."
"By heaven, you shall never have it! nor one farthing of mine, without
you promise to relinquish all idea of this disgraceful connection."
"I must leave that to your own sense of justice. I have pledged my
solemn word to Miss Wildegrave to make her my wife. I cannot break my
word without forfeiting my own self-respect."
"Then it appears to me that my approbation to a measure, which so
deeply concerns the honor and respectability of my family, was a matter
of no consequence to my son."
"Indeed, my dear father, I would cheerfully have consulted you upon the
subject had I not been aware of the strong prejudice with which you
regard all those who were in any way connected with that unfortunate
rebellion. In Miss Wildegrave's case, I knew my application would be
worse than fruitless."
"And you knew this, and yet dared to persist in your folly?"
"I did. Because I loved the young lady; and felt that I never could be
happy without her."
"And with her I am determined that you never shall be happy. It was my
intention, at my decease, to have bequeathed to you the manor of Worden,
with its fine old hall, and the noble woods by which it is surrounded;
but as you mean to please yourself in the choice of a wife, I shall take
the same privilege in the choice of my heirs.
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