In the ordinary affairs of life she was a girl of great courage, who was not given to be shaken from her constancy by the pressure of any present difficulty; but now the terror inspired by her father's voice almost overpowered her.
"Do you mean to tell me that you have engaged yourself to that young man without my approval ?" "Of course you were to have been asked, papa." "Is that in accordance with your idea of what should be the conduct of a young lady in your position ?" "Nobody meant to conceal anything from you, papa." "It has been so far concealed.

And yet this young man has the self-confidence to come to me and to demand your hand as though it were a matter of course that I should accede to so trivial a request.
It is, as a matter of course, quite impossible.

You understand that; do you not ?" When she did not answer him at once, he repeated the question.

"I ask you whether you do not feel that it is altogether impossible ?" "No, papa," she said, in the lowest possible whisper, but still in such a whisper that he could hear the word, and with so much clearness that he could judge from her voice of the obstinacy of her mind.
"Then, Mary, it becomes my duty to tell you that it is quite impossible.

I will not have it thought of.