“Then why can’t you do as she did about this young man, dear? Why can’t you see the truth about him as everybody else sees it? There aren’t any fathers and mothers of girls in the whole place that don’t feel the same way about him. He may seem fascinating to a few susceptible girls who haven’t any experience, but he’s just a bad sort of joke to everyone else. Why can’t you be as sensible as——” But the moment of melting had passed. When her mother spoke of young Mr. Gleason as just a bad sort of joke, Lily stepped away from her, trembling. “Mamma,” she said, “I wish you never to speak of him to me again until you have learned to respect both him and myself.” Mrs. Dodge stared helplessly; then, hearing her husband closing the front door downstairs, she made gestures as of wringing her hands, but said nothing, and went down to relieve herself by agitating Mr. Dodge with the painful narrative. XIX PARENTS IN DARKNESS UPON its conclusion, he went so far as to pace the floor of the library, and make what his wife called an attack upon herself. “I’ve done everything anybody could,” she protested in defence. “How could _I_ help it if he _has_ been here a few times when you weren’t in the house? It’s all very simple for _you_! You merely write him a letter and then sit in your office, miles away, and expect me to do the rest! You don’t have to go through the scenes with Lily when it comes to keeping him out. I believe it would be better, instead of making an attack on your wife, if you’d put your mind on what’s to be done about it.” He shook his head gloomily. “I’m not so sure it was wise to write him that letter. I’m not sure we haven’t been mistaken in our whole policy with Lily.” “Well, you’ve always overruled me,” Mrs. Dodge returned, defensively. “What mistake do you think you’ve made?” “I think we’ve probably been wrong from the start,” he said. “Looking back over all our struggles with Lily, it’s begun to seem to me that we never once accomplished anything whatever by opposing her.” “What! Don’t you realize that she’s still a child, and that children have to be opposed for their own good?” “Not when they’re nineteen, and it’s opposition about their love affairs or their friendships,” he returned, frowning; and he continued to walk up and down the room, his hands clasped behind him. “I mean open opposition, of course. I’ve begun to believe it never does the slightest good.” “Why doesn’t it?” she asked, challengingly. “Are mothers and fathers supposed to sit aside with folded hands and calmly watch their children ruin their lives?”