It would have looked so very strange."

"It was unfortunate--that's all."

"Was it so very unfortunate, John?"

"Of course I had to tell them down there."

"Was papa angry?"

"He only said that if you chose to make such a fool of yourself, he
would do nothing for you--in the way of money."

"George does not think of that in the least."

"People must eat, you know."

"Ah; that would make no difference either to him or to me. We must
wait, that's all. I do not think it would make me unhappy to wait
till I died, if he only were content to wait also. But was papa so
very angry?"

"He wasn't so very angry,--only angry. I was obliged to tell him; but
I said as little to him as possible because he is ill. Somebody else
made herself disagreeable."

"Did you tell her?"

"I was determined to tell her;--so that she should not turn round
upon me afterwards and say that I had deceived her. I had made a
promise to my father."

"Oh, John, I am so sorry."

"There is no use in crying after spilt milk. A promise to my father
she would of course take as a promise to her, and it would have been
flung in my face."

"She will do so now."

"Oh, yes;--but I can fight the battle better, having told her
everything."

"Was she disagreeable?"

"Abominable! She mixed you up with Marion Fay, and really showed more
readiness than I gave her credit for in what she said. Of course she
got the better of me. She could call me a liar and a fool to my face,
and I could not retaliate. But there's a row in the house which makes
everything wretched there."

"Another row?"

"You are forgotten in this new row,--and so am I. George Roden and
Marion Fay are nothing in comparison with poor Mr. Greenwood. He
has been committing horrible offences, and is to be turned out. He
swears he won't go, and my father is determined he shall. Mr. Roberts
has been called in, and there is a question whether Harris shall
not put him on gradually diminished rations till he be starved into
surrender. He's to have L200 a year if he goes, but he says that it
is not enough for him."

"Would it be much?"

"Considering that he likes to have everything of the very best I do
not think it would. He would probably have to go to prison or else
hang himself."

"Won't it be rather hard upon him?"

"I think it will. I don't know what it is that makes the governor so
hard to him. I begged and prayed for another hundred a year as though
he were the dearest frie