He waited for four-and-twenty hours before he spoke, and during that time was subject to none of those terrors which were now making Miss Marrable's life a burden to her. In his opinion it was almost a pity that a young fellow like Walter should be interrupted in his amusement. According to his view of life, very much wisdom was not expected from ladies, young or old. They, for the most part, had their bread found for them; and were not required to do anything, whether they were rich or poor. Let them be ever so poor, the disgrace of poverty did not fall upon them as it did upon men. But then, if they would run their heads into trouble, trouble came harder upon them than on men; and for that they had nobody to blame but themselves. Of course it was a very nice thing to be in love. Verses and pretty speeches and easy-spoken romance were pleasant enough in their way. Parson John had no doubt tried them himself in early life, and had found how far they were efficacious for his own happiness. But young women were so apt to want too much of the excitement! A young man at Bullhampton was not enough without another young man at Loring. That, we fear, was the mode in which Parson John looked at the subject,--which mode of looking at it, had he ever ventured to explain it to Mary Lowther, would have brought down upon his head from that young woman an amount of indignant scorn which would have been very disagreeable to Parson John. But then he was a great deal too wise to open his mind on such a subject to Mary Lowther.
"I think, sir, I'd better go up and see Curling again next week," said the Captain.
"I dare say. Is anything not going right?"
"I suppose I shall get the money, but I shall like to know when. I am very anxious, of course, to fix a day for my marriage."
"I should not be over quick about that, if I were you," said Parson John.
"Why not? Situated as I am, I must be quick. I must make up my mind at any rate where we're to live."
"You'll go back to your regiment, I suppose, next month?"
"Yes, sir. I shall go back to my regiment next month, unless we may make up our minds to go out to India."
"As man and wife?" said Parson John, with a smile.
"Well, no. If she goes with you, she must go as Mrs. Captain Marrable, of course. But if I were you, I would not think of anything so horrible."