You agree with that, I
know.'
'Certainly I do.'
'You won't take it ill if I ask whether--in fact, whether you've
ever asked her--you know what I mean.'
'I have not,' Sidney replied, in a clear, unmoved tone, changing his
position at the same time so as to look his interlocutor in the
face.
Joseph seemed relieved.
'Still,' he continued, 'you've given her to understand--eh? I
suppose there's no secret about that?'
'I've often spoken to her very intimately, but I have used no words
such as you are thinking of. It's quite true that my way of behaving
has meant more than ordinary friendship.'
'Yes, yes; you're not offended at me bringing this subject up, old
man? You see, I'm her father, after all, and I think we ought to
understand each other.'
'You are quite right.'
'Well, now, see.' He fidgeted a little. 'Has my father ever told you
that his friend the lawyer, Percival, altogether went against that
way of bringing up Jane?'
'Yes, I know that.'
'You do?' Joseph paused before proceeding. 'To tell you the truth, I
don't much care about Percival. I had a talk with him, you know,
when my business was being settled.
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