I'm sure I've been plain-spoken enough about
Stephen Whitelaw."
"That was a girl's silly talk. I didn't think to find you a fool when I
came to the point. I let you have your say, and looked to time to bring
you to reason. Come, Nell, you're not going against your father, are
you?"
"I must, father, in this. I'd rather die twenty deaths than marry that
man. There's nothing I wouldn't rather do."
"Isn't there? You'd rather see your father in gaol, I suppose, if it came
to that?"
"See you in gaol!" cried the girl aghast. "For heaven's sake, what do you
mean, father? What fear is there of your being sent to prison, because I
won't marry Stephen Whitelaw? I'm not a baby," she added, with a
hysterical laugh; "you can't frighten me like that."
"No; you're a very wise young woman, I daresay; but you don't know
everything. You've seen me downhearted and out of sorts for this last
half-year; but I don't suppose you've troubled yourself much about it,
except to worry me with silly questions sometimes, when I've not been in
the humour to be talked to. Things have been going wrong with me ever
since hay-harvest, and I haven't sent Sir David sixpence yet for last
year's crops. I've put him off with one excuse after another from month
to month. He's a careless master enough at most times, and never
over-sharp with my accounts.
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