human
I am obliged to speak to you on a very important subject,
gpt
Can you not guess the subject to which I refer? she continued.
human
Have you forgotten the peculiar provisions of your father's will, by which you will be disinherited in my favor unless you marry on or before your twenty-sixth birthday?
gpt
I have not forgotten,
human
Then perhaps you have forgotten that the first day of August will be your birthday?
gpt
I have not forgotten that, either,
human
Then perhaps you will condescend to explain the reason for your strange shilly-shallying? Your birthday scarcely three weeks off, and your inheritance dependent on your marriage, yet not even engaged!
gpt
Dear madame, there is plenty of time yet,
human
You expect, then, to be married on your birthday?
gpt
Certainly, madame. You can not suppose that I am going to remain single, and resign my birthright to you or any one?
human
I scarcely thought you such a fool, she said, tartly; adding:
gpt
But I consider your behavior very strange. You are not yet engaged that I know of, and the bride ought to have more than three weeks to prepare her trousseau.
human
That is all nonsense about an elaborate trousseau. She will need only a wedding and traveling-gown, and the other finery can be bought while we are on our wedding-tour in Paris,
gpt
Perhaps you are engaged already to some grand foreign lady, and intend to return to Europe in time to marry her on your birthday?
human
You are mistaken, madame. There is no girl in the world for me but one of our lovely Americans. That is why I came home from my wanderings. I wanted to choose one of my own beautiful country women to be my bride.
gpt
I applaud your taste, she smiled.
human
I have traveled over the whole world, but I found no women as charming as the Americans; and I am glad you will choose one to reign at Ellsworth. But have you made your choice?
gpt
Ah, madame! that is hard to do among so many lovely girls,
human
I wish you would make your choice between my nieces, Olive and Ela.
gpt
Dainty is your niece, too, I believe?
human
Only my half-niece--the daughter of a half-brother I never loved. I simply asked her here through kindness to give her a good time. But with the other two it was different. I own to you I desired you to fall in love with one, and marry her, while I would make the other my heiress, thus settling them both luxuriously in life.
gpt
Ah! And what did you expect to do for pretty little Dainty?
human
Nothing. She would return to Richmond, and become a school-teacher
gpt
Well, what do you say? Can you fall in with my plans?
human
Really, I can't say, you have taken me so much by surprise. Besides, the choice is very limited. Put Dainty in the balance with the other two nieces, and I will promise to choose between the three.
gpt
Love, you are surely not thinking seriously of Dainty Chase for a wife? I assure you that she would not make a fitting mistress for Ellsworth. You admire brave, spirited women, I know, and Dainty is a weak, hysterical little coward, taking dreams for realities. Sheila Kelly assures me that every night since she has been sleeping in her room she has had a hysterical spell, declaring that she has either seen or heard the old monk, although nothing at all supernatural has happened to Sheila, showing that it is nothing but bad dreams and hysterics on Dainty's part. If she goes on in this way long, she will either lose her health or her reason; and I am thinking seriously of sending her home to her mother.
human
You will do nothing of the kind. Write at once, and invite her mother to come to Ellsworth,
gpt
I will not do it! Instead, I will send away this hateful girl who is trying to thwart all my hopes and plans for Olive and Ela!
human
Take care that you do not transcend your authority, madame, in thus threatening to send away the future fair mistress of my home! Yes, I will trifle with you no longer. You shall hear the truth, and govern yourself accordingly. Dainty Chase is my promised bride, and we will be married on the first of August, my happy birthday!