longer shield you and hide you away as I can do
now? Will you have fortitude to endure, or will you become sour,
vindictive, misanthropic, envious? Will you curse the hour of your
birth?"

Katherine bowed her proud head still lower.

"Ah! don't do that, my darling," she prayed in piteous entreaty, "don't
do that. For I will share all your trouble, do share it even now,
beforehand, foreseeing it, while you still lie smiling unknowing of
your own distress. I shall live through it many times, by day and
night, while you live through it only once. And so you must be
forbearing towards me, my dear one, when you come----"

She broke off abruptly, her hands fell at her sides, and she sat
rigidly upright, her lips parted, staring blankly at the dancing
flames.

In repeating Dr. Knott's statement Ormiston had purposely abstained
from all mention of Richard Calmady's accident and its tragic sequel.
He could not bring himself to speak to Katherine of that. Until now,
dominated by the rush of her emotion, she had only recognised the bare
terrible fact of the baby's crippled condition, without attempting to
account for it. But, now, suddenly the truth presented itself to her.
She understood that she was herself, in a sense, accountable--that the
greatness of her love for the father had maimed the child.

As she realised the profound irony of the position, a blackness of
misery fell upon Katherine. And then, since she was of a strong,
undaunted spirit, an immense anger possessed her, a revolt against
nature which could work such wanton injury, and against God, who, being
all-powerful, could sit by and permit it so to work. All the
foundations of faith and reverence were, for the time being, shaken to
the very base.

She gathered the naked baby up against her bosom, rocking herself to
and fro in a paroxysm of rebellious grief.

"God is unjust!" she cried aloud. "He takes pleasure in fooling us. God
is unjust!"

CHAPTER X

THE BIRDS OF THE AIR TAKE THEIR BREAKFAST

Ormiston's first sensation on reentering his sister's room was one of
very sensible relief. For Katherine leaned back against the pink
brocade cushions in the corner of the sofa, with the baby sleeping
peacefully in her arms. Her colour was more normal too, her features
less mask-like and set. The cloud which had shadowed the young man's
mind for nearly a fortnight lifted. She knew; therefore, he argued, the
worst must be over. It was an immense gain th