"May I ask, madame," inquired Rushford, "how marriage with my daughter
would degrade your nephew?"
"It is impossible, in the first place," she answered, readily, "that he
should marry the daughter of an inn-keeper."
"Of an inn-keeper?" repeated Rushford, in a puzzled tone.
"You are the proprietor of this inn, are you not?" demanded the
duchess. "Tellier, here has the papers. Come forward, Tellier."
"Oh, I understand," and Rushford laughed, not pleasantly. "No, I didn't
tell you, Susie," he added, catching his daughter's astonished glance.
"It was merely an escapade of mine. I was bored, and so I arranged with
Pelletan to have a little fun by backing the hotel for a month--Pelletan
had reached the end of his resources. He'd have had to shut up shop, and
I didn't want to move. I assure you, madame, that at home I am not an
inn-keeper. If I was, I shouldn't be in the least ashamed of it, unless
I were a bad one. Suppose we pass on to the next count."
There was a movement at the door and Nell came running to her father and
threw her arms about him. Cranford followed her and held out his hands.
"Congratulate me," he said, simply, but with shining face.
"I do," said Rushford, and kissed his daughter. "It seems we've got
your difficulty happily settled, Nell; but we've another on hand which
seems considerably more complicated.
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