'
'I assure you, mother, I shall be content--'
'No, no; you must not be content, child, and you must hear me. You must
live in a becoming style, and make a proper appearance. I could not
present you to my friends here, nor be happy, if you did not, Colambre.
Now the way is clear before you: you have birth and title, here is
fortune ready made; you will have a noble estate of your own when old
Quin dies, and you will not be any encumbrance or inconvenience to your
father or anybody. Marrying an heiress accomplishes all this at once;
and the young lady is everything we could wish, besides--you will meet
again at the gala. Indeed, between ourselves, she is the grand object of
the gala; all her friends will come EN MASSE, and one should wish that
they should see things in proper style. You have seen the young lady in
question, Colambre--Miss Broadhurst. Don't you recollect the young lady
I introduced you to last night after the opera?'
'The little, plain girl, covered with diamonds, who was standing beside
Miss Nugent?'
'In di'monds, yes. But you won't think her plain when you see more of
her--that wears off; I thought her plain, at first--I hope--'
'I hope,' said Lord Colambre, 'that you will not take it unkindly of
me, my dear mother, if I tell you, at once, that I have no thoughts of
marrying at present--and that I never will marry for money.
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