What fiend had possessed her, that she should have struck at him so cruelly? At the moment she had not intended to hurt, but the words had come to her lips before she had thought what to say, and had been launched unconsidered. She was roused by her father addressing her. 'Really, my dear, you were――were rather rude. You should not be that, least of all to an inferior. It angers an equal, it cuts an inferior.' 'Father, he has occasioned mother and me much wretchedness.' 'How?' 'By causing cruel, untrue things to be said of us. He has made our lives miserable.' 'Not――not about――ahem! Has he insinuated――――' 'I need not tell you about what, further than that it concerns money.' 'Oh, money! What about that?' 'If you desire to know more, it is that he said, or perhaps it is more true to say he has caused it to be said, that mother is well off and able to send me here, because she stole money from his father; but I know better, for one reason, because she could not do a wrong thing; and next because the money came from you. But first of all because mother _could_ not do it. The money was from you, was it not, father?' 'Certainly it was. I sent to her money repeatedly, and of late, liberally.' 'There now!' in a tone of triumph. 'Oh, if you would speak that out before all Axmouth! Oh, how happy you would make my mother!' 'That――that is not possible.' 'Why not?' 'There are reasons. They are weighty. I cannot fully explain. For one, I am here taking the waters.' 'Then let me call him back. Say the words before Jack. He is not a bad fellow, honest and true, and he will believe you and tell the truth to every one.' 'For Heaven's sake, no!' 'Why not? It is the truth.' She paused. 'Are you ashamed of me as your daughter?' 'No, a thousand times no; and since you have been new fitted out by Madame Delmarc and Miss――Miss――I forget the name――ten thousand times no.' 'Then why? Are you ashamed of my mother?' He groped in his pocket with twitching fingers, but could find neither latchkey nor pencil to put to his tongue or lips. 'I――I――there are matters, my dear, beyond your comprehension. A little later. Have patience, Winefred; when you are a bit older, have more knowledge of the world――――' 'You will make it up with mother?' 'I――I will think about it.' Her face, that had kindled with hope, was again clouded.