"Never! I shall never believe that my daughter's happiness can be assured by a step which I should regard as disgraceful to her." "Disgraceful is a violent word, my Lord." "It is the only word that will express my meaning." "And one which I must be bold enough to say you are not justified in using.

Should she become my wife to-morrow, no one in England would think she had disgraced herself.

The Queen would receive her on her marriage.

All your friends would hold out their hands to us,--presuming that we had your goodwill." "But you would not have it." "Her disgrace would not depend upon that, my Lord.

Should your daughter so dispose of herself, as to disgrace herself,--which I think to be impossible,--your countenance could not set her right.
Nor can the withdrawal of your countenance condemn her before the world if she does that with herself which any other lady might do and remain a lady." The Duke, when he heard this, even in the midst of his wrath, which was very violent, and in the midst of his anger, which was very acute, felt that he had to deal with a man,--with one whom he could not put off from him into the gutter, and there leave as buried in the mud.