Even Aunt Barbara, who, after all, is very liberally minded, sees that.

They can none of them, not even she, who are born to a certain tradition imagine that there are other traditions quite as stiff-necked.

Michael, it is true, was born to one tradition, but he has got the other, as he has shown very clearly by refusing to disobey it.

He will certainly, as you say, insist on my endorsing the resolution he has made for himself.

What it comes to is this, that I can't marry him without his father's complete consent to all that I have told you.