What are these to an old man like myself?"
"Father," said Lucy earnestly, "when I marry Archie I shall, in
all probability, leave Gartley for London."
"I know--I know. Bless me, child, do you think that I have not
thought of that? If you were only wise, which you are not, you
would marry Random and remain at the Fort."
"Sir Frank has other fish to fry, father. And even if I did
remain at the Fort as his wife, I still could not look after
you."
"Humph! I am beginning to see what you are driving at. But I
can't forget your mother, my dear. She was a good wife to me."
"Still," said Lucy coaxingly, and becoming more and more the
champion of Mrs. Jasher, "you cannot manage this large house by
yourself. I do not like to leave you in the hands of servants
when I marry. Mrs. Jasher is very domesticated and--"
"And would make a good housekeeper. No, no, I don't want to give
you another mother, child."
"There is no danger of that, even if I did not marry," rejoined
Lucy stiffly. "A girl can have only one mother."
"And a man apparently can have two wives," said Braddock with dry
humor. "Humph!"--he pinched his plump chin--"it's not a bad
idea. But of course I can't fall in love at my age.
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