“This must be looked into,” said Commodore Bruce, very much more gravely than he had yet spoken. “Yes, this must be seen to. I must give that young scamp a sound lecture! for, mind you, it is _he_ who is in fault, though, woman-like, you put the whole blame upon her! It is he who is to blame, and very much to blame, for he is pursuing her and trifling with her when he knows very well, the rascal! that he must marry my niece, Hermia Templeton, or go to the deuce! While I am commander of this ship—I mean master of this house—I won’t have it! Still, let me tell you, madam, that I despise the means by which these women have detected these interviews. They could have done so only by eavesdropping! And, oh, Lord! how I do loathe and detest eavesdroppers!” exclaimed the veteran with every expression of disgust and abhorrence disfiguring his fine old face as he arose from his seat and, leaning on his stick, turned to depart. Before leaving the room he paused and said: “I shall say nothing to Ronald to-day. I have had quite enough of excitement for one day—more of it would spoil my dinner and my night’s rest—perhaps ruin my digestion and my nervous system! So no more of this subject for the present. I want to relish my turkey and enjoy a good night’s sleep. To-morrow morning after breakfast I will take my young gentleman in hand, and we will go over the chart of his life voyage together, and I will show him his course. To make things surer, I will also speak to my young lady. But, in the meantime, I desire you and your friends in the house to treat this young girl with consideration and kindness. Let them know, if you please, that such is my will. I shall see in a moment, by the look of that child’s face, whether she has been treated with contempt while out of my sight.” With these words the veteran left the room. Mrs. Bruce cared very little for the _brusquerie_ of the old sailor, so that he had given his promise to break up the intimacy between her son and her seamstress. Indeed, her reason for the severe course she took towards Em. was rather the desire to put a prompt and final stop to the acquaintance between the young people than any dislike to the girl herself. Meantime Em. had gone out to the grounds for a walk, but seeing Ronald Bruce approaching from the house she quickly passed around to a side door, entered it, and ran up to her room, where she arranged her simple toilet for dinner. Em. dreaded meeting the family again at the table; but when the bell rang and she went down and found them all assembled in the dining-room, and Commodore Bruce advanced, took her hand and led her to her seat, and all looked kindly or with perfect indifference on her, she felt more at her ease.