"You have only to learn how to manage that wonderful voice of yours, Denas," he said, "and a steady flow of money will be the result. You must have read of the enormous sums singers receive, but we will be modest at first and suppose you only make a few hundreds a year. In the long run that will be nothing; and you will be a very rich woman."
"You have often said such things to me, Roland. But perhaps you do not judge me severely enough. I must see a great teacher, and he will tell me the truth."
"To be sure. And you must have lessons also."
"And for these things there must be money."
"Certainly. I have upward of five hundred pounds and you have one hundred at least."
"The money you told me of in St. Merryn's Bank."
"Because I will not. Father has been saving it ever since I was born. If he is sick it is all he has to live upon. It is bad enough to desert my parents; I will not rob them also."
"You must not look at things in such extreme ways. You are going to spend money in order to make a fortune."
"I will not spend father's money--the fortune may never come."
"Then there is my money. You are welcome to every penny of it. All I have is yours. I only live for you."
"To say such things, Roland, is the way to marry me--if you mean to marry me--is it not? Among the fishermen it is so, only they would say first of all, 'I do wish to be your husband.'"
"I am not a fisherman, Denas. And it would really be very dishonourable to bind your fortune irrevocably to mine. In a couple of years you would be apt to say: 'Roland played me a mean trick, for he made me his wife only that he might have all the money I earn.' Don't you see what a dreadful position I should be in? I should be ashamed to show my face. Really, dearest, I must look after my honour. My money--that is nothing."
"Roland, if honour and money cannot go together, there is something wrong. If I went to London alone and you were also in London and paying for my lessons, do you know what everyone would say in St. Penfer? Do you know what they would call me?"
"Why need you care for a lot of old gossips--you, with such a grand future before you?"
"I do care. I care for myself. I care a thousand times more for father and mother. A word against my good name would kill them. They would never hold up their heads any more. And then, however bad a name the public gave me, I should give myself a worse one; I should indeed! Night and day my soul would never cease saying to me: 'Denas Penelles, you are a murderess! Hanging is too little for you. Get out of this life and go to your own place'--and you know where that would be."