her--for her own sake--and to avoid
ill-natured comment,--suggesting that she be seen less frequently with
you in public. I wrote as nicely, as kindly, as delicately as I knew
how. And her reply was a practical request that I mind my business!...
Which was vulgar and outrageous, considering that she had given me her
promise--" Mrs. Collis checked herself in her headlong and indignant
complaint; then she coloured painfully, but her mouth settled into
tight, uncompromising lines.

"What promise had Valerie West made you?" he asked, resolutely subduing
his amazement and irritation.

For a moment Mrs. Collis hesitated; then, realising that matters had
gone too far for concealment, she answered almost violently:

"She promised me not to marry you,--if you must know! I can't help what
you think about it; I realised that you were infatuated--that you were
making a fatal and terrible mistake--ruining life for yourself and for
your family--and I went to her and told her so! I've done all I could to
save you. I suppose I have gained your enmity by doing it. She promised
me not to marry you--but she'll probably break her word. If you mean to
marry her you'll do so, no doubt. But, Louis, if you do, such a step
will sever all social relations between you and your family. Because I
will _not_ receive her! Nor will my friends--nor yours--nor father's and
mother's friends! And that settles it."

He spoke with great care, hesitating, picking and choosing his words:

"Is it--possible that you did--such a thing--as to write to Valerie
West--threatening her with my family's displeasure if she married me?"

"I did not write her at first. The first time I went to see her. And I
told her kindly but plainly what I had to tell her! It was my duty to do
it and I didn't flinch."

Lily was breathing fast; her eyes narrowed unpleasantly.

He managed to master his astonishment and anger; but it was a heavy
draught on his reserve of self-discipline, good temper, and common sense
to pass over this thing that had been done to him and to concentrate
himself upon the main issue. When he was able to speak again, calmly and
without resentment, he said:

"The first thing for us to do, as a family, is to eliminate all personal
bitterness from this discussion. There must be no question of our
affection for one another; no question but what we wish to do the best
by each other. I accept that as granted. If you took the step which you
did take it was