thing, and
spoke as though there could be no doubt as to the heinousness, or
rather, absurdity, of Lord George's conduct. "It is very sad,--very
sad, indeed," he said; "one hardly knows what one ought to do."

"He wants to go down--to Cross Hall."

"That is out of the question. You must stay out your time here and then
come to me, as you arranged. He must get out of it by saying that he
was frightened by thinking that you had fallen."

"It was not that, papa."

"Of course it was not; but how else is he to escape from his own
folly?"

"You do not think that I have been--wrong--with Captain De Baron?"

"I! God bless you, my child. I think that you have been wrong! He
cannot think so either. Has he accused you?"

Then she told him, as nearly as she could, all that had passed between
them, including the expression of his desire that she should not waltz,
and his subsequent permission given at Lady Brabazon's. "Pish!" he
ejaculated. "I hate these attempted restrictions. It is like a woman
telling her husband not to smoke. What a fool a man must be not to see
that he is preparing misery for himself by laying embargoes on the
recreations of his nearest companion!" Then he spoke of what he himself
would do. "I must see him, and if he will not hear reason you must go
with me to the Deanery without him."

"Don't separate us, papa."

"God forbid that there should be any permanent separation. If he be
obstinate, it may be well that you should be away from him for a week
or two. Why can't a man wash his dirty linen at home, if he has any to
wash. His, at any rate, did not come to him with you."

Then there was a very stormy scene in the dining-room between the two
men. The Dean, whose words were infinitely more ready and available
than those of his opponent, said very much the most, and by the fierce
indignation of his disclaimers, almost prevented the husband from
dwelling on the wife's indiscretion. "I did not think it possible that
such a man as you could have behaved so cruelly to such a girl."

"I was not cruel; I acted for the best."

"You degraded yourself, and her too."

"I degraded no one," said Lord George.

"It is hard to think what may now best be done to cure the wound which
she has been made to suffer. I must insist on this,--that she must not
be taken from town before the day fixed for her departure."

"I think of going to-morrow," said Lord George, gloomily.

"Then you must go alone, and I must re