"What the devil made you ask ?" "Merely my incessant speculation as to your future, my dear fellow," replied Howard, blandly.

"Most fathers are ambitious for their sons, and I should imagine that Sir Stephen would be extremely so.

When a man is simply a plain 'Mr.,' he longs for the 'Sir;' when he gets the 'Sir,' he wants the 'my Lord' for himself, or for his son and heir.
That is the worst of ambition: you can't satisfy it.

I have no doubt in my mind that at this very moment Sir Stephen is making for a peerage for himself--or you.

He can possibly gain his; but you, having no brains to speak of--the fact that good-looking men are always deficient in that respect is a continual and blessed consolation to us plain ones, Staff--will have to make what the world calls a 'good marriage.' Doubtless your father already has the future bride in his eye; the daughter of a peer--high in the government, perhaps in the cabinet--probably.