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 David said, "if it would have been better in any way to have told you. Before I borrowed that money from Mr. Fuller, I told you what I was going to do; you said about everything you could to me to stop me from going into business and particularly to stop my taking that money; but I went into business. Now I've married."

"I have never denied you the right to marry."

"You did not want me to marry Alice; so it would've been worse if you'd seen Fidelia, I knew."

"How did you know that?"

"Because she's further from your idea of a wife for me than Alice ever was. When I wrote you the note from college to say that I wasn't going to marry Alice, I wrote some more to you," David proceeded steadily. "I didn't send it. I think I remember just what I said. I wrote: 'A girl has come to college who is the type you would find more detrimental to me than Alice. She's the most beautiful girl I've ever seen. I know almost nothing of her character except that she is pleasant and she's strong in physical endurance and keeps cheerful hour after hour under trying conditions. The truth is, I think almost nothing about her character and less about her religious faith. I love her.

You wouldn't call it love. You'd say I desire her. Well, I do; and I mean to marry her.' That's what I wrote and it's all true—except that she is cheerfuller and pleasanter day after day than ever I'd thought she could be. I've married her and I'm happy with her. Father, I didn't know what happiness could