it?" Ralph broke out with sudden
passion.

His father-in-law looked at him thoughtfully. "I presume you realize it
ain't easy to change Undine, once she's set on a thing."

"Perhaps not. But if she really means to apply for a divorce I can make
it a little less easy for her to get."

"That's so," Mr. Spragg conceded. He turned back to his revolving chair,
and seating himself in it began to drum on the desk with cigar-stained
fingers.

"And by God, I will!" Ralph thundered. Anger was the only emotion in him
now. He had been fooled, cheated, made a mock of; but the score was not
settled yet. He turned back and stood before Mr. Spragg.

"I suppose she's gone with Van Degen?"

"My daughter's gone alone, sir. I saw her off at the station. I
understood she was to join a lady friend."

At every point Ralph felt his hold slip off the surface of his
father-in-law's impervious fatalism.

"Does she suppose Van Degen's going to marry her?"

"Undine didn't mention her future plans to me." After a moment Mr.
Spragg appended: "If she had, I should have declined to discuss them
with her." Ralph looked at him curiously, perceiving that he intended in
this negative way to imply his disapproval of his daughter's course.

"I shall fight it--I shall fight it!" the young man cried again. "You
may tell her I shall fight it to the end!"

Mr. Spragg pressed the nib of his pen against the dust-coated inkstand.
"I suppose you would have to engage a lawyer. She'll know it that way,"
he remarked.

"She'll know it--you may count on that!"

Ralph had begun to laugh again. Suddenly he heard his own laugh and it
pulled him up. What was he laughing about? What was he talking about?
The thing was to act--to hold his tongue and act. There was no use
uttering windy threats to this broken-spirited old man.

A fury of action burned in Ralph, pouring light into his mind and
strength into his muscles. He caught up his hat and turned to the door.

As he opened it Mr. Spragg rose again and came forward with his slow
shambling step. He laid his hand on Ralph's arm.

"I'd 'a' given anything--anything short of my girl herself--not to have
this happen to you, Ralph Marvell."

"Thank you, sir," said Ralph.

They looked at each other for a moment; then Mr. Spragg added: "But
it HAS happened, you know. Bear that in mind. Nothing you can do will
change it. Time and again, I've found that a good thing to remember."

XXIII

In the Adirondacks