inifred."

"Girls here are not kept always under the eye of older people, as is
usually considered necessary in England; but then they learn from their
infancy to be more self-reliant. We have taken the safeguards of
governess and schoolroom suddenly from children almost grown-up, and set
them where no one has had time to look after them. They would need to
have been miraculously wise if, with time on their hands, they had not
spent some of it absurdly."

"Yes," he said again unhappily, "what must we do about it, my dear? Your
hands are already full." He always leaned on Sophia.

"I fear there is only one thing to do. We cannot give them society; we
cannot give them further education; they must have the poor woman's
protection--work--to take up their time and thoughts. We have saved them
from hard work until now, and it has not been true kindness."

He did not answer. He believed what she said, but the truth was very
disagreeable to him. When he spoke again he had left that subject.

"I am sorry for this affair about the Trenholmes. I like Trenholme, and,
of course, he has shown himself able to rise. The younger fellow is
plain and bluff, like enough to what he is."

"His manners are perfectly simple, but I--I certainly never imagined--"

"Oh, certainly not; otherwise, you would hardly have received him as you
did. For us men, of course, in this country--" He gave a dignified wave
of his hand.

"Are you sure of that, papa,--that I would not have received him?" It
was exactly what she had been saying to herself for days; but, now that
another said it, the sentiment involved seemed weak.

"I am aware"--his tone was resigned--"that your opinions are always more
radical than I can approve. The extreme always seems to have, shall I
say, some attraction for you; but still, my daughter, I believe you are
not lacking in proper pride."

"I am too proud to think that for a good many days I have liked a man
who was not fit for my liking. I prefer to believe that he is fit until
I can have more conclusive proof to the contrary."

Captain Rexford walked some minutes in sterner silence. He had long
ceased to regard Sophia as under his authority.

"Still I hope, my dear, the next time you see this young man--rudeness,
of course, being impossible to you, and unnecessary--still I hope you
will allow your manner to indicate that a certain distance must be
preserved."

Her own sense of expediency had been urging this course