ang upon your lapse of
memory on that point, and upon my perhaps inconveniently distinct
recollection of those events."

"I wish to lay before you certain facts and certain results of your
present conduct," said Henriette.

"Very good. I wish to lay before you certain facts and certain results
of your past conduct."

"Ah! do not let us wrangle, Hadria."

"I don't wish to wrangle, but I must keep hold of these threads that you
seem always to drop. And then there is another point: when I talked of
leaving home, it was not _I_ who suggested that it should be for ever."

"I know, I know," cried Henriette hastily. "I have again and again
pointed out to Hubert how wrong he was in that, and how he gave you a
pretext for what you have done. I admit it and regret it deeply. Hubert
lost his temper; that is the fact of the matter. He thought himself
bitterly wronged by you."

"Quite so; he felt it a bitter wrong that I should claim that liberty of
action which I warned him before our marriage that I _should_ claim. He
made no objection _then_: on the contrary, he professed to agree with
me; and declared that he did not care what I might think; but now he
says that in acting as I have acted, I have forfeited my position, and
need not return to the Red House."

"I know. But he spoke in great haste and anger. He has made me his
_confidante_."

"And his ambassador?"

Henriette shook her head. No; she had acted entirely on her own
responsibility. She could not bear to see her brother suffering. He had
felt the quarrel deeply.

"On account of the stupid talk," said Hadria. "_That_ will soon blow
over."

"On account of the talk partly. You know his sensitiveness about
anything that concerns his domestic life. He acutely feels your leaving
the children, Hadria. Try to put yourself in his place. Would _you_ not
feel it?"

"If I were a man with two children of whom I was extremely fond, I have
no doubt that I should feel it very much indeed if I lost an intelligent
and trustworthy superintendent, whose services assured the children's
welfare, and relieved me of all anxiety on their account."

"If you are going to take this hard tone, Hadria, I fear you will never
listen to reason."

"Henriette, when people look popular sentiments squarely in the face,
they are always called hard, or worse. You have kept yourself thoroughly
informed of our affairs. Whose parental sentiments were gratified by the
advent of those children--