"It wouldn't be another sphere to him." "I should have to let him take care of that. It's all I can manage to look out for myself--" There seemed to be some admiration in his tone. "Which you seem marvelously well fitted to do." "Thank you." "In fact, it's one of the ways in which you betray yourself. An innocent girl--" I strained forward in my chair. "Wouldn't it be fair for you to tell me what you mean by the word innocent?" "I mean a girl who has no special ax to grind--" I could hear my foot tapping on the floor, but I was too indignant to restrain myself. "Even that figure of speech leaves too much to the imagination." He studied me again. "You're very sharp." "Don't I need to be," I demanded, "with an enemy of your acumen?" "But I'm not your enemy. It's what you don't seem to see. I'm your friend. I'm trying to keep you out of a situation that would kill you if you got into it." I think I laughed. "Isn't death preferable to dishonor?" I saw my mistake in the quickness with which Mrs. Brokenshire looked up. "There are more kinds of dishonor than one," I explained, loftily, "and to me the blackest would be in allowing you to dictate to me." "My dear young woman, I dictate to men--" "Oh, to men!" "I see! You presume on your womanhood. It's a common American expedient, and a cheap one. But I don't stop for that." "You may not stop for womanhood, Mr. Brokenshire; but neither does womanhood stop for you." He rose with an air of weary patience. "I'm afraid we sha'n't gain anything by talking further--" "I'm afraid not." I, too, rose, advancing to the table. We confronted each other across it, while one of the dogs came nosing to his master's hand. I had barely the strength to gasp on: "We've had our talk and you see where I am. I ask nothing but the exercise of human liberty--and the measure of respect I conceive to be due to every one. Surely you, an American, a representative of what America is supposed to stand for, can't think of it as too much." "If America is supposed to stand for your marrying my son--" "America stands, so I've been told by Americans, for the reasonable freedom of the individual. If Hugh wants to marry me--" "Hugh will marry the woman I approve of." "Then that apparently is what we must put to the test." I was now so near to tears that I suppose he saw an opening to his own advantage. Coming round the table, he stood looking down at me with that expression which I can only describe as sympathetic. With all the dominating aggressiveness which either forced you to give in to him or urged you to fight him till you dropped, there was that about him which left you with a lingering suspicion that he might be right. It was the man who might be right who was presently sitting easily on the edge of the table, so that his face was on a level with my own, and saying in a kindly voice: