"
"No, no, Victor, only twenty-one," and Richard's voice trembled,
for like Edith, he wished to be reassured and upheld even by his
inferiors.
He knew Victor disapproved, that he considered it a great
sacrifice on Edith's part, but for this he had no intention of
giving her up. On the contrary it made him a very little vexed
that his valet should presume to question his acts, and he said
with more asperity of manner than was usual for him,
"You think it unsuitable, I perceive, and perhaps it is, but if we
are satisfied, it is no one's else business, I think,"
"Certainly not," returned Victor, a meaning smile curling his lip,
"if both are satisfied, I ought to be. When is the wedding?"
He asked this last with an appearance of interest, and Richard,
ever ready to forgive and forget, told him all about it, who Edith
was, and sundry other matters, to which Victor listened as
attentively as if he had not heard the whole before. Like Edith,
Richard was in the habit of talking to Victor more as if he were
an equal than a servant and in speaking of his engagement, he
said,
"I had many misgivings as to the propriety of asking Edith to be
my wife--she is so young, so different from me, but my excuse is
that I cannot live without her.
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