The Pond person's footsteps diminished up the long stairs. A moment later a volley of hand-clapping, sounding very near, indicated his arrival in the meeting-room. But his interruption and his irritating stare had accomplished no mollifying purpose down in the court. But one end, indeed, could justify the proud Miss Heth in lingering in a public hall with the slanderer of herself and her family. "Doesn't it occur to you," she said, hardly waiting for the intruder to get out of earshot, "that so much preaching about other people's business seems rather--odd, coming from you?" Dr. Vivian now affected to look troubled. "There was just that difficulty," said he, slowly, "that you might think I was preaching. I'm not, this time, really--" "Don't you know perfectly well you only said that in a--a horrid way to try to make me feel uncomfortable?" She paused for a reply; her excitement was growing. Her figure was enveloped in a slim raincoat of fine gray; she wore a yellow straw hat of an intriguing shape, and over it a white veil closely drawn to keep the wet wind from her face. Now and then, as her eyes moved, a descending black-and-gold eyelash became entangled with this veil; that occurrence, in fact, took place at this precise moment, creating an emergency situation of some consequence. It was a matter of considerable public interest to see how it would all work out. However, the girl merely raised an indifferent hand, and plucked the veil out a little. The man V.V. looked hurriedly away. He was saying: "I assure you I meant nothing of the kind. However, doubtless it's natural that you should think so--" "It seems _very_ natural to me--especially here in the new Settlement building!... What about the _parable of the rich young man now_?" He stood looking at her without a reply; one of his quaint looks, it was. However, Carlisle knew positively that he did not want to improve the Works out of any fund he pretended to have, and was resolved to show him no mercy now. She had really meant to spare him, and he, mistaking magnanimity for weakness, had said what he had said. On his head be it: his deceptive trusting look should not save him now. "Why don't you say something?" she demanded. The young man gave an embarrassed laugh. "Well, to tell the honest truth, I don't seem to think of anything to say--" "Oh!... So the Settlement suggests _nothing_ to you--as to picking the beam from your own eye?" "Not at this moment, I think. In fact, I don't seem to grasp at all--" "_Oh!_" said Cally, with a little gasp. And then, stung on by his reckless hardihood, she struck to kill: "How can you _look_ at me, and pretend that you're so anxious to help other people's businesses, when you know you wouldn't even give to your own Settlement--_not a cent_!"