Her husband was discreetly silent, and Father Time was discreetly silent: they both knew that her last birthday had happened thirty years since.
"Shall we talk of the weather and the news, my dear?
Or shall we come to the object of your visit at once ?" So Miss Dulane opened the interview.
"Your tone and manner, my good friend, are no doubt provoked by the report in the newspaper of this morning.

In justice to you, I refuse to believe the report." So Mrs.Newsham adopted her friend's suggestion.
"You kindness is thrown away, Elizabeth.

The report is true." "Matilda, you shock me!" "Why ?" "At your age!" "If _he_ doesn't object to my age, what does it matter to _you ?_" "Don't speak of that man!" "Why not ?" "He is young enough to be your son; and he is marrying you--impudently, undisguisedly marrying you--for your money!" "And I am marrying him--impudently, undisguisedly marrying him--for his rank." "You needn't remind me, Matilda, that you are the daughter of a tailor." "In a week or two more, Elizabeth, I shall remind you that I am the wife of a nobleman's son." "A younger son; don't forget that." "A younger son, as you say.

He finds the social position, and I find the money--half a million at my own sole disposal.

My future husband is a good fellow in his way, and his future wife is another good fellow in her way.