g on its lace
collar and her face so round and childish, she seemed more than ever to
have defrauded him. Hooking her arm in his, she drew him to the window;
and Felix thought: 'She just wants to talk to me about Derek. Dog in the
manger that I am! Here goes to be decent!' So he said:

"Well, my dear?"

Nedda pressed his hand with a little coaxing squeeze.

"Daddy, darling, I do love you!"

And, though Felix knew that she had grasped what he was feeling, a sort
of warmth spread in him. She had begun counting his fingers with one of
her own, sitting close beside him. The warmth in Felix deepened, but he
thought: 'She must want a good deal out of me!' Then she began:

"Why did we come down again? I know there's something wrong! It's hard
not to know, when you're anxious." And she sighed. That little sigh
affected Felix.

"I'd always rather know the truth, Dad. Aunt Clara said something about
a fire at the Mallorings'."

Felix stole a look at her. Yes! There was a lot in this child of his!
Depth, warmth, and strength to hold to things. No use to treat her as a
child! And he answered:

"My dear, there's really nothing beyond what you know--our young man and
Sheila are hotheads, and things over there are working up a bit. We must
try and smooth them down."

"Dad, ought I to back him whatever he does?"

What a question! The more so that one cannot answer superficially the
questions of those whom one loves.

"Ah!" he said at last. "I don't know yet. Some things it's not your duty
to do; that's certain. It can't be right to do things simply because he
does them--THAT'S not real--however fond one is."

"No; I feel that. Only, it's so hard to know what I do really
think--there's always such a lot trying to make one feel that only
what's nice and cosey is right!"

And Felix thought: 'I've been brought up to believe that only Russian
girls care for truth. It seems I was wrong. The saints forbid I
should be a stumbling-block to my own daughter searching for it! And
yet--where's it all leading? Is this the same child that told me only
the other night she wanted to know everything? She's a woman now! So
much for love!' And he said:

"Let's go forward quietly, without expecting too much of ourselves."

"Yes, Dad; only I distrust myself so."

"No one ever got near the truth who didn't."

"Can we go over to Joyfields to-morrow? I don't think I could bear a
whole day of Bigwigs and eating, with this hanging--"

"Po