But you forget his father.

Personally, mind, I despise Mr.Keller." She looked round at me with unutterable contempt flashing through the tears that filled her eyes.

"A man who listens to every lie that scandal can utter against the character of a helpless woman--who gives her no opportunity of defending herself (I have written to him and received no answer)--who declares that his son shall never marry my daughter (because we are poor, of course); and who uses attacks on my reputation which he has never verified, as the excuse for his brutal conduct--can anybody respect such a man as that?
And yet on this despicable creature my child's happiness and my child's life depend! For her sake, no matter what my own feeling may be, I must stoop to defend myself.

I must make my opportunity of combating his cowardly prejudice, and winning his good opinion in spite of himself.

How am I to get a hearing?
how am I to approach him?
I understand that you are not in a position to help me.