"Miss Carlaw, what I am--about to say--may appear--I fear it must--in the light of an impertinence. I know that I have no right to say anything, no right to interfere; but I happen, lonely old fellow though I am, to have a great affection for this child you have so generously taken under your care." The captain paused for a moment and then swung round and spoke almost fiercely, "In God's name, madam, what are you making of him?" "That's good," said Miss Carlaw, in a tone of approval. "I like a man to come to the point and hit out straight. So you want to know what I'm making of him, do you?" She started up from her chair, and advanced toward the captain threateningly. "I'll tell you, sir. I'm making a gentleman of him; I'm showing him what the world is like, and----" "The worst side of the world, madam," said the captain, indignantly. "It's good enough for me," she retorted. "That may be; you are a woman of the world, and can choose for yourself. This child is helpless; his fresh young mind can take in everything he sees about him. You stand at the present moment as everything to him--his benefactress, almost his goddess. What you do must be right, simply because you do it. You told me just now that you were training this boy to be a gentleman; I tell you, madam, you are training him to be a blackguard, and probably worse, if there is anything worse." Miss Carlaw had stopped, and was listening intently. Her brows were drawn down, but she nodded sternly as the captain finished speaking. "Go on, sir," she said. "I've known this boy, madam, since he was a baby--he's little more than a baby now--and I've never found a sweeter, cleaner, purer soul on this muddy old earth of ours yet. He turns naturally to sweet things, to everything that has the sunlight and free air upon it; he's as clear as crystal. Think of his age, madam! Is it an age when he should be mixing with men and women--forgive the discourtesy, I beg of you--with men and women not too choice in their conversation or their manners? Is it an age when he should be gambling and tossing gold about at an hour when he should be in bed? Believe me, I do not stand before you as a prig, or as one who would have a word to say against anything in its proper place or its proper season; you choose your own guests, and your choice is doubtless a right one, for every man and every woman chooses in this world according to his or her need. But with this boy--this baby--it's different. His soul is in your hands, to do what you will with it. And I say, frankly, madam, that you are doing with it badly." She did not speak; she turned about, and went to her chair and sat down in the same attitude as before, except that she rested her forehead on her hands instead of her chin. After a pause the captain spoke again.