human
My boy! my boy! she murmured,
gpt
Mother! with a quick look of alarm,
human
No worse, Rupert; but no better. My boy, I shall never be better again in this world.
gpt
Mother----
human
Hush, my Rupert--wait; you know it is true; and but for leaving you I should be glad to go. My life has not been so happy since your father died, that I should greatly cling to it.
gpt
But, mother, this won't do; these morbid fancies are worst of all. Keeping up one's spirits is half the battle.
human
I am not morbid; I merely state a fact--a fact which must preface what is to come. Rupert, I know I am dying, and before we part I want to see my successor at Thetford Towers.
gpt
My dear mother!
human
Rupert, I want to see Aileen Jocyln your wife. No, no; don't interrupt me, but believe me, I dislike match-making quite as cordially as you do; but my days on earth are numbered, and I must speak before it is too late. When we were abroad I thought there never would be occasion; when we returned home I thought so, too. Rupert, I have ceased to think so since May Everhard's return.
gpt
How any man in his senses could possibly prefer May to Aileen, is a mystery I cannot solve; but then these things puzzle the wisest of us at times. Mind, my boy, I don't really say you _do_ prefer May--I should be very unhappy if I thought so. I know--I am certain you love Aileen best; and I am equally certain she is a thousand times better suited to you. Then, as a man of honor, you owe it to her. You have paid Miss Jocyln such attentions as no honorable gentleman should pay any lady, save the one he means to make his wife.
human
Rupert, tell me truly, if May Everard had not come here, would you not ere this have asked Aileen to be your wife?
gpt
Yes--no--I don't know! Mother! the young man cried, impatiently,
human
Nothing; and I love her dearly, and you know it. But she is not suited to you--she is not the woman you should marry.
gpt
I think Miss Everard is much of your opinion, my lady. You might have spared yourself all these fears and perplexities, for the simple reason that I should have been refused had I asked.
human
Rupert?
gpt
Nay, mother mine, no need to wear that frightened face. I haven't asked Miss Everard in so many words to marry me, and she hasn't declined with thanks; but she would if I did. I saw enough to-day of that.
human
Then you don't care for Aileen?
gpt
I care for her very much, mother; and I haven't owned to being absolutely in love with our pretty little May. Perhaps I care for one as much as the other; perhaps I know in my inmost heart she is the one I should marry. That is, if she will marry me.
human
You owe it to her to ask her.
gpt
Do I? Very likely; and it would make you happy, my mother?
human
More happy than anything else in this world, Rupert!
gpt
Then consider it an accomplished fact. Before the sun sets to-day Aileen Jocyln shall say yes or no to your son.
human
There is nothing like striking whilst the iron is hot,