Besides, my own married life was so happy; God forbid I should grudge any happiness to my children.

I knew nothing but good of the lad; and you liked him too; Helen told me you had specially charged her, if ever she had an opportunity, to be kind to him." Lord Cairnforth almost groaned.
"Captain Bruce declared you must have said it because you knew of his attachment, which he had not had courage to express before, but had rather appeared to slight her, to hide his real feelings, until he was assured of your consent." The earl listened, utterly struck dumb.

The lies were so plausible, so systematic, so ingeniously fitted together, that he could almost have deluded himself into supposing them truth.

No wonder, then, that they had deluded simple Helen, and her even simpler and more unworldly father.
And now the cruel question presented itself, how far the father was to be undeceived?
The earl was, both by nature and circumstances, a reserved character; that is, he did not believe in the duty of every body to tell out every thing.

Helen often argued with him, and even laughed at him, for this; but he only smiled silently, and held to his own opinion, taught by experience.