Chapter 4For Love or Money?

          Catherine heard her father come home that evening. She stood outside the door of his room for nearly half an hour. Then she went in. He sat in his chair by the fire, with a cigar in his hand, and read the newspaper.

          ‘I have something to say to you,’ she began, very quietly. She sat down. ‘I’m going to marry Morris Townsend.’ The doctor looked at her. ‘When did he ask you?’

          ‘This afternoon — four hours ago,’ she answered.

          ‘Usually the man asks the girl’s father. Is he afraid to ask me? You’re moving very fast.’

          ‘He says he loves me. And I like him very much.’

          ‘But you met only a few weeks ago.’

          ‘I liked him from the beginning.’

          ‘I know that you’re not a little girl now, but a woman. But I don’t like Morris Townsend. I’m sorry that you didn’t ask me first. I was too easy with you.’

          ‘I was afraid of your opinion. But, father, you don’t know him,’ she said.

          ‘You don’t know him. He only shows you half the man.’

          ‘You think he wants my money.’

          ‘Why do I think he’s the wrong man? I’ll tell you.’ And he smoked his cigar for a minute. ‘I think that your money is more important to him than is right. Perhaps a clever young man will fall in love with you and not be interested in your dollars. You’re an honest, loving girl. But what do we know about this clever young man? We know that he lost his money because he lived a bad life. Now, he’s looking for more money to lose and he has his eye on your money.’

          ‘That’s not the only thing we know about him, father. He wants to do something very much. He’s honest and he’s good. And he lost very little money.’

          ‘Then he was not careful with it,’ said the doctor. He got up with a laugh. Catherine stood up. He put his arm round her. ‘I’m sorry for you. I’ll see Mr Townsend tomorrow.’

♦

          ‘Yes, Dr Sloper,’ said Morris the next afternoon. ‘We arrived quickly at an understanding. But then I was interested in Miss Sloper the first time I saw her.’

          ‘Were you interested in her before you saw her?’

          ‘I knew she was a beautiful girl.’

          ‘I’m her father and I love her very much. I’m her father and I know that she is not “a beautiful girl”. I told Catherine yesterday that I do not like your plans.’

          ‘I’m very sorry,’ answered Morris. He looked at the floor.

          ‘I don’t want my daughter to marry a man with no money and no profession. My daughter is a weak young woman and will be quite rich when I die.’

          ‘I’m not interested in her money. You have my word.’

          ‘I want more than your word.’

          ‘What can I do to get your good opinion?’

          ‘Nothing. I do not want to give you my good opinion.’

          ‘But I love Catherine. I’m going to work hard. My old life is behind me. Without me she won’t be happy.’

          ‘I want you to break with her now,’ said the doctor. ‘For six months she will perhaps not like me. I can wait. She’ll see that a life with you can never be happy.’

          ‘Ah, sir, you are not polite!’ Morris cried angrily.

          ‘You push me too hard, Mr Townsend,’ the doctor answered.

          ‘Perhaps Catherine will not want to break our understanding. She won’t forget me easily. I have nothing more to say.’ Morris left the room.

‘But I love Catherine. I’m going to work hard. My old life is behind me. Without me she won’t be happy.’

          Dr Sloper decided to visit Morris Townsend’s sister, Mrs Montgomery. She lived in a pretty little red house with a pretty garden. She was a small woman with blue eyes and an honest face. At the moment her face was a little red. She did not usually have visits from important society people.

          Dr Sloper began. ‘Your brother wants to marry my daughter. 1 want to learn about him. Tell me about your brother.’

          ‘I find talking about my brother difficult,’ she said.

          ‘With a husband I don’t like, Catherine will get nothing from me when 1 die. She has ten thousand from her mother and nothing more.’

          ‘Does Morris know this?’ she asked.

          ‘I’ll be happy to tell him.’

          ‘You say you don’t like Morris. Why?’

          ‘He’s a good man to talk to at a dinner. But I don’t want him to be my daughter’s husband. 1 think he’s more interested in Morris Townsend than in Catherine Sloper. Tell me I’m wrong.’

          ‘No, you are not wrong. But we are all interested in our lives, I think,’ said Mrs Montgomery. ‘And he’s handsome.’

          ‘Some young men do as little as they can,’ said the doctor. ‘They live on the love of other people. And ninety-nine times out of a hundred, those other people are women. You, my sister, Lavinia, and Catherine are all working to make an easy life for Morris.’

          Mrs Montgomery’s eyes were suddenly wet. She moved her head proudly. «I don’t know how you know this!’ she cried.

          ‘Now,’ said the doctor. ‘Answer this: Do you give your brother money?’ She answered yes.

          ‘Do you have much money?’ She answered no.

          ‘Does your brother know this?’ She answered yes.

          ‘I hear that your brother teaches your children.’

          Her eyes were suddenly big and round. ‘Oh, oh yes,’ she said quickly, ‘he teaches them Spanish.’

‘Now’, said the doctor. ‘Answer this: Do you give your brother money She answered yes.

          The doctor laughed at this answer. ‘Spanish! That will help them! Now 1 know the answer to my question. Your brother lives on you.’ Mrs Montgomery began to cry. ‘I know he’s a clever man. But he’s not the right man for my Catherine. You must meet her. Then you’ll understand me.’

          ‘Yes,’ she answered. ‘Please bring your daughter to meet me.’ And then suddenly, ‘He must not marry her.’

          The doctor went happily away with these words in his ears.