After a brief, troubled silence, he rose and walked toward the window, as if desirous to avoid looking the lady in the face.
After a while, he said, slowly, "Do you deem it quite right, Mrs.
Delano, to pass such a counterfeit on society ?" "I have attempted to pass no counterfeit on society," she replied, with dignity.

"Flora is a blameless and accomplished young lady.
Her beauty and vivacity captivated me before I knew anything of her origin; and in the same way they have captivated you.

She was alone in the world, and I was alone; and we adopted each other.

I have never sought to introduce her into society; and so far as relates to yourself, I should have told you these facts sooner if I had known the state of your feelings; but so long as they were not expressed, it would scarcely have been delicate for me to take them for granted." "Very true," rejoined the disenchanted lover.

"You certainly had a right to choose a daughter for yourself; though I could hardly have imagined that any amount of attraction would have overcome _such_ obstacles in the mind of a lady of your education and refined views of life.