"My father is fond of me. I am his only son. He would relent."

"He never would," she answered firmly, "and you know it. Charley, the
day he spoke to you in Cork, I was behind the window-curtains reading.
I heard every word. My first wordnetdesire was to come out and confront
him--to throw back his  and patronage, and demand to be sent
home. A horrid bad wordnetanger is numbered among the list of my failings.
But I did not. I heard your calm reply--the 'soft answer that turneth
away wordnetanger,' and it fell like oil on my troubled .

"'Don't lose your wordnetanger,' you said; 'Fred Darrell's daughter and I
won't marry, if that's what you mean.'

"I admire your prudence and truth. I took the lesson home, and--stayed
behind the curtains. And we will keep to that--you and Fred Darrell's
daughter will never marry."

"But, Edith, you know what I meant. Good Heavens! you don't for a
second suppose--"

"I don't for a second suppose anything but what is good and generous
of you