The last observation was addressed to a child who had bowled his hoop against the speaker's legs. Fred Bingham accompanied the words by taking the hoop and throwing it far out into the middle of the Long water; and then, with his unpleasant laugh, he strolled off, pursued by the loud roaring of the child and the indignant scoldings and threatenings of its nurse.
CAPTAIN BRADSHAW had not at first received the news which Frank, on his return from his second visit to Staffordshire, had given him of his engagement, with equanimity. Although he had outwardly resigned himself to the failure of his favourite plan, he had never quite given up hope that some day or other matters might come right. Frank's engagement put an end to all this, and he could hardly conceal his disappointment. Frank had, however, anticipated something of this, and passed over the scarcely veiled ill-humour with which his uncle had greeted the announcement that he was engaged to a young lady down in Staffordshire. Frank had turned to Alice, secure that there at least he should find a sympathising listener; and although Alice had spoken but little at first, she presently became as interested as Frank could have wished, and asked very many questions as to her future cousin.
“And what may Miss O'Byrne's fortune be, Frank?” Captain Bradshaw asked, rather grimly.
“‘Her face is her fortune, sir, she said,’” Frank laughed.
“I thought so,” Captain Bradshaw said. “That is just like you, Frank—I could have sworn it. The present generation are going to the deuce, I think. I married well, so did my father, and my grandfather, and so on as far back as history tells us anything about it. Here you are—a good-looking fellow, with every advantage—marrying a young lady, of whom I will accept your description as to her personal advantages, but altogether, as I understand you, without fortune.”
“It's very sad, uncle,” Frank said with comic humility, “but you see we can't get all our wants. If Katie had been worth ten thousand a year, perhaps she would have been married a year ago.”
“I don't think money has much to do with happiness,” Alice said.
“Pooh, nonsense, stuff,” Captain Bradshaw said irritably. “What do you know about it, Alice?”