onsideration," returned her husband, "but if you
are willing, I will either take her to our home, or provide for her
elsewhere--but come, what do you say?"

All this time Mrs. Graham had sat bolt upright, her little dumpling
hands folded one within the other, the long transparent nails making
deep indentures in the soft flesh, and her gray eyes emitting _green_
gleams of scorn. The answer her husband sought came at length, and
was characteristic of the woman. Hissing out the words from between
her teeth, she replied, "When I take 'Lena Rivers into my family for
my husband and son to make love to, alternately, I shall be ready for
the lunatic asylum at Lexington."

"And what objection have you to her?" asked Mr. Graham; to which his
wife replied, "The very fact, sir, that you wish it, is a sufficient
reason why I will not have her; besides that, you must misjudge me
strangely if you think I'd be willing for my son to come daily in
contact with a girl of her doubtful parentage."

"What know you of her parentage?" said Mr. Graham, his lips turning
slightly pale.

"Yes, what do I know?" answered his wife. "Her father, if she has
any, is a rascal, a villain----"

"Yes, yes, all of that," muttered Mr. Graham, while his wife
continued, "And her mother a poor, low, mean, ignorant----"

"Hold!" thundered Mr. Graham. "You shall not speak so of any woman
of whom you know nothing, much less of 'Lena Rivers' mother."

"And pray what do you know of her--is she an old acquaintance?" asked
Mrs. Graham, throwing into her manner as much of insolence as
possible.

"I know," returned Mr. Graham, "that 'Lena's mother could be nothing
else than respectable."

"Undoubtedly; but of this be assured--the daughter shall never, by my
permission, darken my doors," said Mrs. Graham, growing more and more
excited, and continuing--"I know you of old, Harry Graham; and I know
now that your great desire to secure Woodlawn was so as to be near
her, but it shan't be."

In her excitement, Mrs. Graham forgot that it was herself who had
first suggested Woodlawn as a residence, and that until within a day
or two her husband and 'Lena were entire strangers. But this made no
difference. She was bent upon being unreasonable, and for nearly an
hour she fretted and cried, declaring herself the most abused of her
sex, and wishing she had never seen her husband, who, in his heart,
warmly seconded that wish, wisely resolving not to mention the
off