ld hardly have done that and expected his daughter ever to speak to
me again."

Isabel gave a quick cry of compassion, but he allowed her no opportunity
to speak. "You needn't think I'm making any particular sacrifice," he
said sharply, "though I would, quickly enough, if I thought it necessary
in a matter of honour like this. I was interested in her, and I could
even say I did care for her; but she proved pretty satisfactorily that
she cared little enough about me! She went away right in the midst of
a--of a difference of opinion we were having; she didn't even let me
know she was going, and never wrote a line to me, and then came back
telling everybody she'd had 'a perfectly gorgeous time!' That's quite
enough for me. I'm not precisely the sort to arrange for that kind of
thing to be done to me more than once! The truth is, we're not congenial
and we'd found that much out, at least, before she left. We should
never have been happy; she was 'superior' all the time, and critical of
me--not very pleasant, that! I was disappointed in her, and I might as
well say it. I don't think she has the very deepest nature in the world,
and--"

But Isabel put her hand timidly on his arm. "Georgie, dear, this is only
a quarrel: all young people have them before they get adjusted, and you
mustn't let--"

"If you please!" he said emphatically, moving back from her. "This isn't
that kind. It's all over, and I don't care to speak of it again. It's
settled. Don't you understand?"

"But, dear--"

"No. I want to talk to you about this letter of her father's."

"Yes, dear, that's why--"

"It's simply the most offensive piece of writing that I've ever held in
my hands!"

She stepped back from him, startled. "But, dear, I thought--"

"I can't understand your even showing me such a thing!" he cried. "How
did you happen to bring it to me?"

"Your uncle thought I'd better. He thought it was the simplest thing to
do, and he said that he'd suggested it to Eugene, and Eugene had agreed.
They thought--"

"Yes!" George said bitterly. "I should like to hear what they thought!"

"They thought it would be the most straightforward thing."

George drew a long breath. "Well, what do you think, mother?"

"I thought it would be the simplest and most straightforward thing; I
thought they were right."

"Very well! We'll agree it was simple and straightforward. Now, what do
you think of that letter itself?"

She hesitated, looking away. "I--o