And it's an altogether different matter to think of having a brand-new father thrust upon you, all ready-made, as you might say, and of course I _am_ interested.

There's such a whole lot depends on the father.

Why, only think how different things would have been at home if _my_ father had been different! There were such a lot of things I had to be careful not to do--and just as many I had to be careful _to_ do--on account of Father.
And so now, when I see all these nice young gentlemen (only they aren't all young; some of them are quite old) coming to the house and talking to Mother, and hanging over the back of her chair, and handing her tea and little cakes, I can't help wondering which, if any, is going to be her lover and my new father.

And I am also wondering what I'll have to do on account of him when I get him, if I get him.
There are quite a lot of them, and they're all different.

They'd make very different kinds of fathers, I'm sure, and I'm afraid I wouldn't like some of them.