"It isn't nonsense," she replied, full of conviction; "have you never heard of Darwin?" "Yes ... the man who says we are descended from monkeys and such-like--rot!" he was going to add, but checked himself in time. "And then there is heredity, you know, about our all inheriting the qualities of our parents. Our science-master explained that to us. If your father is given to drink, then you will drink too." "Did your father drink?" "Yes--he drank." "And so you are afraid that you will become a drunkard, eh?" "No, not that. A girl couldn't very well. But I am afraid about temper." "What temper?" "His was so violent. When he was in one of his rages he didn't know what he was doing; once he flew at me with a knife." "Horrors! How old were you then?" "Not quite eight. It was after mother's death. He came from I don't know where. We hadn't seen him for two years, and when he found out that nothing had been left to him, and that it was all mine, and had already been put in the hands of trustees, he was frantic, and it was then that he did it--snatched up the knife. Afterwards he took me with him when he travelled about. I was always to be with him, because then he could get the money for my education." "And you understood everything even then?" he exclaimed, amazed and deeply moved. A melancholy little smile flitted across her face, which made her look years older. "You see, I am not so foolish as you thought," she said. "I have cried a good deal in my life. Oh yes! We were speaking of the violent temper.... Well, I have got it too. If I am angry I am blind, and don't know what I do, and my blood rushes into my head. I shall come to a bad end one day. Mamma says I ought to pray, and beseech the Lord Jesus every day to change my bad blood. But I am not sure that it would be right. For if I have my bad times, I have my good too. No one dreams what they are. Elly, for example. You know what she is like? always placid, always soft. I believe the sun shines brighter for me than for her, that to my eyes green is greener, and ... the moon ... how it sails up there.... She doesn't see it.... She is always too sleepy. So I say to myself often, every unhappiness may be happiness if one knows just how to enjoy things like that." He laid his hands on his forehead and stared at her. "Great God!" he thought, "what magic there is in a young creature like this!" She had talked herself into a high pitch of excitement, and, without heeding him, went on--