"No, the girl wasn't to blame. I don't know that any one was to blame.
But I'm afraid our girls wouldn't marry many titles if their fathers
didn't put up the money."
"Well, I don't see why they shouldn't spend their money that way as well
as any other," said Jeff, and this proof of his impartiality suggested to
Westover that he was not only indifferent to the mercenary international
marriages, which are a scandal to so many of our casuists, but had quite
outlived his passion for the girl concerned in this.
"At any rate," Jeff added, "I haven't got anything to say against it. Mr.
Westover, I've always wanted to say one thing to you. Then I came to your
room that night, I wanted to complain of Mrs. Vostrand for not letting me
know about the engagement; and I wasn't man enough to acknowledge that
what you said would account for their letting me make a fool of myself.
But I believe I am now, and I want to say it."
"I'm glad you can see it in that way," said Westover, "and since you do,
I don't mind saying that I think Mrs. Vostrand might have been a little
franker with you without being less kind. She was kind, but she wasn't
quite frank."
"Well, it's all over now," said Jeff, and he rose up and brushed the
whittlings from his knees. "And I guess it's just as well."