ew should not have taken place at all, Sholto. I need not
point out to you that prudence and good taste forbid any repetition of
it."

"I did not seek it, Mr. Lind. He forced it upon me. I promise you that
if a second meeting takes place, it will be forced upon him by me, and
will take place in another country."

"That is a young man's idea, Sholto. The day for such crimes, thank
Heaven, is past and gone. Let us say no more of it. I was speaking to
your mother on Sunday. Have you seen her yet?"

"No."

"Sholto, you hit us all very hard that Monday before Christmas. I know
what I felt about my daughter. But I can only imagine what your mother
must have felt about her son."

"I am not insensible to that. I has been rather my misfortune than my
fault that I have caused you to suffer. If it will gratify you to know
that I have suffered deeply myself, and am now, indeed, a broken man, I
can assure you that such is the case."

"It is fortunate for us all that matters are not absolutely
irremediable. I will so far take you into my confidence as to tell you
that I have never felt any satisfaction in Marian's union with Mr.
Conolly. Though he is unquestionably a remarkable man, yet there was a
certain degree of incongruity in the match--you will understand
me--which placed Marian apart from her family whilst she was with him. I
have never entered my daughter's house without a feeling that I was more
or less a stranger there. Had she married you in the first instance, the
case would have been different: I wish she had. However, that is past
regretting now. What I wish to say is that I can still welcome you as
Marian's husband, even though she will have a serious error to live
down; and I shall be no less liberal to her than if her previous
marriage had never taken place."

Douglas cleared his throat, but did not speak.

"Well?" said Mr. Lind after a pause, reddening.

"This is a very painful matter," said Douglas at last. "As a man of the
world, Mr. Lind, you must be aware that I am not bound to your daughter
in any way."

"I am not speaking to you as a man of the world. I am speaking as a
father, and as a gentleman."

"Doubtless your position as a father is an unfortunate one. I can
sympathize with your feelings. But as a gentleman----"

"Think of what you are going to say, Sholto. If you speak as a
gentleman, you can have only one answer. If you have any other, you will
speak as a scoundrel." The last sentence c