Happy for him had he done so, whatever might have been the consequences: but he wanted moral courage; the hideous sound of Briggs had become horrible to him; and once his foolish heart was frightened away from honesty, just as honesty was on the point of conquering, by old Lady Knockdown's saying that she could never have married a man with an ugly name, or let Lucia marry one.
"Conceive becoming Mrs.Natty Bumppo, me dear, even for twenty thousand a year.

If you could summon up courage to do the deed, I couldn't summon up courage to continue my correspondence with ye." Elsley knew that that was a lie; that the old lady would have let her marry the most triumphant snob in England, if he had half that income: but unfortunately Lucia capped her aunt's nonsense with "There is no fear of my ever marrying any one who has not a graceful name," and a look at Vavasour, which said--"And you have one, and therefore I--" For the matter had then been settled between them.

This was too much for his vanity, and too much, also, for his fears of losing Lucia by confessing the truth.

So Elsley went on, ashamed of his real name, ashamed of having concealed it, ashamed of being afraid that it would be discovered,--in a triple complication of shame, which made him gradually, as it makes every man, moody, suspicious, apt to take offence where none is meant.

Besides they were very poor.