lified or rendered suspect, because the gamut of human emotion
proved to have more extended range and more jarring discords than she
had yet reckoned with. Her mind was large enough to make room for novel
experience in sorrow, as well as in joy, retaining the while its poise
and sanity. Therefore she, recognising a new phase in the development
of her child, without hesitation or regret of self-love for the
disturbance of her own gladness braced herself to meet it. His pride
had been wounded--somehow, she knew not how--to the very quick. And the
smart of that wound was too shrewd, as yet, for any precious balms of
articulate tenderness to soothe it. She must give it time to heal a
little, meanwhile setting herself scrupulously to respect his dark
humour, meet his pride with pride, his calm with at least equal
calmness.

She drew a chair up to the end of the table, and settled herself to
listen quite composedly.

"It will be well, dearest," she said, "that you should explain to me
clearly what has happened. To do so may avert possible complications."

Richard's hands paused among the papers. He regarded Lady Calmady
reflectively, not without a grudging admiration. But an evil spirit
possessed him, a necessity of mastery--inevitable reaction from
recently endured humiliation--which provoked him to measure his
strength against hers. He needed a sacrifice to propitiate his anger.
That sacrifice must be in some sort a human one. So he deliberately
pulled the tall lamp nearer, and swung his chair round sideways,
leaning his elbow on the table, with the result that the light rested
on his face. It did more. It rested upon his body, upon his legs and
feet, disclosing the extent of their deformity.

Involuntarily Katherine shrank back. It was as though he had struck
her. Morally, indeed, he had struck her, for there was a cynical
callousness in this disclosure, in this departure from his practice of
careful and self-respecting concealment. Meanwhile Richard watched her,
as, shrinking, her eyelids drooped and quivered.

"Mother," he said, quietly and imperatively.--And when, not without
perceptible effort, she again raised her eyes to his, he went on:--"I
quite agree with you that it will be well for me to explain with a view
to averting possible complications. It has become necessary that we
should clearly understand one another--at least that you, my dear
mother, should understand my position fully and finally. We have been