ken, and such as no Ruthyn, under
the circumstances, ought to exhibit. I told him what he ought to do, and
offered to open my purse for the purpose; but he would not, or _did_ not;
indeed, he _never_ took my advice; he followed his own, and a foul and
dismal shoal he has drifted on. It is not for his sake--why should I?-that
I have longed and laboured to remove the disgraceful slur under which
his ill-fortune has thrown us. He troubles himself little about it, I
believe--he's meek, meeker than I. He cares less about his children than I
about you, Maud; he is selfishly sunk in futurity--a feeble visionary. I am
not so. I believe it to be a duty to take care of others beside myself. The
character and influence of an ancient family is a peculiar heritage--sacred
but destructible; and woe to him who either destroys or suffers it to
perish!'

This was the longest speech I ever heard my father speak before or after.
He abruptly resumed--

'Yes, we will, Maud--you and I--we'll leave one proof on record, which,
fairly read, will go far to convince the world.'

He looked round, but we were alone. The garden was nearly always solitary,
and few visitors ever approached the house from that side.

'I have talked too long, I believe; we are children to the last. Leave me,
Maud. I think I know you better than I did, and I am pleased with you. Go,
child--I'll sit here.'

If he had acquired new ideas of me, so had I of him from that interview. I
had no idea till then how much passion still burned in that aged frame, nor
how full of energy and fire that face, generally so stern and ashen, could
appear. As I left him seated on the rustic chair, by the steps, the traces
of that storm were still discernible on his features. His gathered brows,
glowing eyes, and strangely hectic face, and the grim compression of his
mouth, still showed the agitation which, somehow, in grey old age, shocks
and alarms the young.

CHAPTER XX

_AUSTIN RUTHYN SETS OUT ON HIS JOURNEY_

The Rev. William Fairfield, Doctor Clay's somewhat bald curate, a mild,
thin man, with a high and thin nose, who was preparing me for confirmation,
came next day; and when our catechetical conference was ended, and before
lunch was announced, my father sent for him to the study, where he remained
until the bell rang out its summons.

'We have had some interesting--I may say _very_ interesting--conversation,
your papa and I, Miss Ruthyn,' said my reverend _vis-a-vis