‘Thank you, Mr. Lovett!’ I said grandly. ‘I am much obliged to you for your good opinion. I shall not soon forget that I tried to do you a benefit, and you credited me with the worst of feelings in return. I see what I believe to be wrong, and I tell you of it, simply from a sense of duty, and a desire to preserve your daughter from a similar fate to mine. But since you choose to misinterpret my meaning in so gross a manner, I shall interfere no further in the matter.’ ‘I beg you will _not_,’ he replied sternly. ‘I have every faith in the honour of Mr. Charteris and of my daughter, and require no assistance in looking after their interests.’ ‘You resent my confidence, then, as an insult.’ ‘I cannot help seeing that it has been actuated by lower motives than you would have me believe. I do not discredit what you have told me; but I am perfectly content to leave such things to Providence and the good principles in which Ange has been brought up.’ ‘You wish her, in fact, to marry Cave Charteris?’ ‘I know nothing as yet to make me _not_ wish it.’ ‘You do not consider his dishonourable conduct to myself any drawback to his becoming the lover of Ange?’ ‘I should like, before I pronounced any opinion on the subject, to be assured that you did not deceive yourself in the matter. Young women are sometimes apt to make a mistake about gentlemen’s attentions. And even if you are right, by your own showing it happened several years ago, and we may charitably conclude that Mr. Charteris’s character has strengthened and improved during the interval.’ ‘I am very sorry I took the trouble to speak to you,’ I said bitterly. And I was exceedingly sorry. I had meant to do good, and I had done nothing but harm. Mr. Lovett evidently liked the idea of Cave Charteris entangling himself with Ange, and perhaps he had even seen what was going on and encouraged it; and I stood in the despicable light of an eavesdropper and scandalmonger, who was actuated by jealousy to play the spy! I could have cried with vexation and indignation, and, indeed, for a while I had not sufficient command over myself to continue the conversation. ‘There is one thing I must request of you, my dear Hilda,’ Mr. Lovett went on mildly: ‘and that is, not to mention this subject to my daughter. It is neither necessary nor delicate—and, in fact, I must forbid it.’ ‘You need not be afraid, sir. I shall never interfere with anything concerning either of them again.’ ‘That is right. It would vex Tessie beyond measure to hear her sister’s actions discussed in this free manner, and it might ruin Ange’s prospects for life.’ ‘I shall leave you to manage them both for the future without any assistance from me,’ I said, turning away, ‘but, mark my words, Mr. Lovett, you will live to regret this day.’