father has a decided objection to his
son-in-law, and does not seem over anxious to meet with him or his wife
or child. What have they been up to, Kennie--eloped, eh?"

"No, they did not exactly elope, but they married without my father's
consent, or rather against his wishes, and were discarded in
consequence. You must not think my father is an unkind man, but he was
deeply disappointed at poor Emma's choice; for, to say truth, her
husband was a wild harum-scarum sort of fellow, fond of
steeple-chasing--"

"Like you," interpolated Gildart.

"Like me," assented Kenneth, with a nod, "and also of yachting and
boating, _like you_."

"Like me," assented the middy.

"Nevertheless," resumed Kenneth, "a good-hearted fellow in the main,
who, I am certain, would have acted his part in life well if he had been
better trained. But he was spoiled by his father and mother, and I must
admit that poor Tom Graham was not over fond of work."

"Ha!" ejaculated Gildart.

"Hum!" responded his friend, "do either of us, I wonder, perceive in
ourselves any resemblance to him in this latter point? I suppose it
would require a third party to answer that question truly. But, to
continue--My father gave Emma, (for he would not consent to see Tom), a
thousand pounds, and dismissed her from his presence, as he said, `for
ever,' but I am convinced that he did not mean what he said, for he
paced about his bedroom the whole of the night after his last interview
with poor Emma, and I heard him groan frequently, although the partition
that separates our rooms is so thick that sounds are seldom heard
through it. Do you know, Gildart, I think we sometimes judge men
harshly. Knowing my father as I do, I am convinced that he is not the
cold, unfeeling man that people give him credit for. He acted, I
believe, under a strong conviction that the course he adopted was that
of duty; he hoped, no doubt, that it would result in good to his child,
and that in the course of time he should be reconciled to her. I cannot
conceive it possible that any one would cast off his child deliberately
and _for ever_. Why, the man who could do so were worse than the beasts
that perish."

"I agree with you. But what came of Tom and Emma?" asked Gildart.

"They went to Australia. Tom got into business there. I never could
make out the exact nature of it, but he undoubtedly succeeded for a
time, for Emma's letters to me were cheerful. Latterly, however, the