I appreciate exactly how well it would serve Mr. David
Verity's interests if his niece married a wealthy old party like
Bulmer. By the way how old is Bulmer?"
"Nearly seventy."
Even Iris herself smiled then, though her tremulous mirth threatened to
dissolve in tears.
"Ah, that's a pity," said Hozier.
"It is very unkind of you to treat me in this manner," she protested.
"But I am trying to help you. I say it is a pity that Bulmer should be
a patriarch, because his only hope of marrying you is that I shall die
first. Even then he must be prepared to espouse my widow. By the way,
is it disrespectful to describe him as a patriarch? Isn't there some
proverb about three score years and ten?"
"Philip, if only you would appreciate my dreadful position----"
"I do. It ought to be ended. The first parson we meet shall be
commandeered. Don't you see, dear, we really must get married at
Pernambuco? That is what I wanted to signal to the cruiser: 'The
_Unser Fritz_ is taking a happy couple to church.' Wouldn't that have
been a surprise?"
Iris clenched her little hands in despair. Why did he not understand
her misery? Though she was unwavering in her resolution to keep faith
with the man who had twitted her with taking all and giving nothing in
return, she could not wholly restrain the tumult in her veins.
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