I also told her to ask her father's forgiveness, and advised her to feign consent to the Stanley marriage.

Matters had reached a point where some remedy, however desperate, must be applied.
Many persons, I fear, will condemn me for advising Dorothy to deceive her father; but what would you have had me do?
Should I have told her to marry Stanley?
Certainly not.

Had I done so, my advice would have availed nothing.

Should I have advised her to antagonize her father, thereby keeping alive his wrath, bringing trouble to herself and bitter regret to him?
Certainly not.

The only course left for me to advise was the least of three evils--a lie.