s to shoot her statements at him in a compressed form
once finally upon leaving the room. Having spoken thus, she restrained
herself from adding another word, and left the house with the dignity of
one inspired by a great ideal.

She had certainly framed her remarks in such a way as to prevent her
brother from paying his call in the region of Knightsbridge. He had no
fears for Katharine, but there was a suspicion at the back of his mind
that Cassandra might have been, innocently and ignorantly, led into some
foolish situation in one of their unshepherded dissipations. His wife
was an erratic judge of the conventions; he himself was lazy; and with
Katharine absorbed, very naturally--Here he recalled, as well as he
could, the exact nature of the charge. "She has condoned Cassandra's
conduct and entangled herself with Ralph Denham." From which it appeared
that Katharine was NOT absorbed, or which of them was it that had
entangled herself with Ralph Denham? From this maze of absurdity Mr.
Hilbery saw no way out until Katharine herself came to his help, so that
he applied himself, very philosophically on the whole, to a book.

No sooner had he heard the young people come in and go upstairs than he
sent a maid to tell Miss Katharine that he wished to speak to her in the
study. She was slipping furs loosely onto the floor in the drawing-room
in front of the fire. They were all gathered round, reluctant to part.
The message from her father surprised Katharine, and the others caught
from her look, as she turned to go, a vague sense of apprehension.

Mr. Hilbery was reassured by the sight of her. He congratulated himself,
he prided himself, upon possessing a daughter who had a sense of
responsibility and an understanding of life profound beyond her years.
Moreover, she was looking to-day unusual; he had come to take her beauty
for granted; now he remembered it and was surprised by it. He thought
instinctively that he had interrupted some happy hour of hers with
Rodney, and apologized.

"I'm sorry to bother you, my dear. I heard you come in, and thought I'd
better make myself disagreeable at once--as it seems, unfortunately,
that fathers are expected to make themselves disagreeable. Now, your
Aunt Celia has been to see me; your Aunt Celia has taken it into her
head apparently that you and Cassandra have been--let us say a
little foolish. This going about together--these pleasant little
parties--there's been some kind of misunde