"But he hasn't got any wife, papa," Elma ventured to interpose,
with a bright little smile; so THAT can't count either way."

"He hasn't a wife AT PRESENT, to be sure; that's perfectly true,
my dear; no wife AT PRESENT; but he will probably now, in his
existing circumstances, soon obtain one. A Man of Property should
always marry. Mr. Waring will naturally desire to ally himself to
some family of Good Position in the county; and the lady's relations
would, of course, insist--"

"Well, it doesn't matter to us, papa," Elma answered maliciously;
"for, as far as we're concerned, you know; you've often said that
nothing on earth would ever induce you to give your consent."

The Gentleman of Good Position in the county gazed at his daughter
aghast with horror. "My dear child," he said, with positive alarm,
"your remarks are nothing short of Revolutionary. You must remember
that since then circumstances have altered. At that time, Mr.
Waring was a painter--"

"He's a painter still, I believe," Elma put in, parenthetically.
"The acquisition of property or county rank doesn't seem to have
had the very slightest effect one way or the other upon his drawing
or his colouring."

Her father disdained to take notice of such flippant remarks. "At
that time," he repeated solemnly, "Mr. Waring was a painter, a mere
ordinary painter; we know him now to be the heir and representative
of a great County Family. If he were to ask you to-day--"