Part 34 (2/2)
”Mr. Lambert-sir-I-er-I-”
”Do you wish to marry my daughter?”
”Yes, sir. Exactly.”
”Then why don't you say so?”
”I _do_ say so, sir.”
”And you wish to ask my permission?”
”Yes, sir-just so. I _do_ ask your permission.”
”Well, sir,” said Mr. Lambert, removing his spectacles, and polis.h.i.+ng them slowly on his handkerchief. ”It is _not_ granted.”
Here Elise began to weep, but disregarding her distress, Mr. Lambert continued,
”And I should advise you, sir, to keep to that very excellent plan of yours to depart, at once.”
Notwithstanding the grim look around Mr. Lambert's mouth, Hyacinth held his ground heroically.
”Sir, I love your daughter. I think I have a right to ask you why you object to me as a son-in-law.”
Mr. Lambert turned upon him slowly in his swivel chair, eyed him gravely from head to foot, and then said,
”Yes. Quite so. You have such a right. Very well, then,-I object to your clothes, to begin with.”
”Sir,” said Hyacinth, turning a deep pink, ”they can be-changed.”
”No doubt,” said Mr. Lambert. ”In the second place I object to your profession,-if you are pleased to call it such.”
”You object to my being an interpreter of nature-an artist, sir?”
stammered Hyacinth. ”Surely sir-however that too can be changed.” And he bowed his head submissively. ”In fact, sir,” he added with an ingenuous expression, ”I shall be quite willing to change it.”
”Ah,” said Mr. Lambert. ”Well, my dear sir,” a slightly sarcastic smile illumined his rugged features for a moment, and he rose as if he were about to finish off the matter, with his final objection, ”well, my dear sir, lastly, I don't like your name. Perhaps, though” (_very_ ironically), ”you can change _that_!”
Hyacinth hesitated a moment, and then said pathetically,
”Don't you really like it, sir?”
”I can hardly express my feelings about it!” cried Mr. Lambert, losing patience. ”Really, my dear sir-”
”One moment, please,” urged Hyacinth, ”I-I _can_ change it-”
”No doubt! No doubt! Perhaps you can change your skin-indeed I should not be surprised-”
”But really, sir. Allow me to explain. I-well, it is necessary for you to know sir, that, very often, persons who embrace any line of artistic activity may desire to a.s.sume a fict.i.tious name-”
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