Now
tell me, please, what does it all mean?"
"Well, Mary," said Walter, "to tell the truth, it is all Greek to
me, except about the money. I think I could give a guess where that
came from."
"There, now!" cried Mary; "that is so like you gentlemen.
Money--money--money! Never mind the money part; leave that to take care
of itself. Can you explain what Mr. Hope said to papa about _me_? Mr.
Hope is a very superior man, and papa's adviser _in business_. But, after
all, he is in papa's employment. Papa _pays_ him. Then how comes he to
care more about my happiness than papa does--and say so?"
"Why, you begged him to intercede."
"Yes," said Mary, "but not to threaten papa; not to say, 'If you are
unkind to Mary, our compact is broken.'"
Then she pondered awhile; then she turned to Walter, and said:
"What sort of compact is that? A compact between a father and another
gentleman that a father shall not be unkind to his own daughter? Did you
ever hear of such a thing?"
"I can't say I ever did."
"Did you ever hear tell of such a thing?"
"Well, now you put it to me, I don't think I ever did.
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