st in his sport.

Presently he wound up his line and went home. He was attracted by Levi's
suggestion and guessed that he might create great feeling against his
father in that way. Himself, he did not shrink from the ordeal in
imagination; indeed his inherent vanity rather courted it. But when he
told his mother what he might do, she urged him to attempt no such
thing. Indeed she criticised him sharply for such a foolish thought.

"You'll lose all sympathy from the people," she said, "and be flung out;
and none will care twopence for you. When you tried to burn the place
down and he forgave you, that made a feeling for him, and since then
'tis well known by those that matter, that he's done all he could for
you under the circumstances."

"That's what he hasn't."

"That's what he would if you'd let him. So it's silly to think you've
got any more grievances, and if you get up and make a row at one of his
meetings, you'll only be chucked into the street. You're nobody now,
through your own fault, and you've made people sorry for your father
instead of sorry for you, because you're such a pig-headed fool about
him and won't see sense."

The boy flushed and glared at his mother, who seldom spoke in this vein.

"If you wasn't my mother, I'd hit you down for that," he said, clenching
his fists. "What do you know about things to talk to me like that? Who
are you to take his side and cringe to him? If you can't judge him,
there's plenty that can, and it's you who are pig-headed, not me,
because you don't see I'm fighting your battle for you. It may seem too
late to fight for you; but it's never too late to hate a wicked beast,
and if I can help to keep him from getting what he wants I will, and I
don't care how I do it, either."

She looked at him with little love in her eyes.

"You're only being a scourge to me--not to him," she answered. "You
can't hurt him, however much you want to, and you can't hurt his name or
reputation, because time heals all and he's done much to others that
will make them forget what he did to me. I forget myself sometimes, so
'tis certain enough the people do. And if I can, surely to God you can,
if only for my sake. You're punishing me for being your mother, not him
for being your father--just contrary to what you want."

"That's all I get, then, for standing up for you against him, and
keeping it before him and the people what he's done against you. Didn't
you tell me years and years ago I