n for others. Is it
right for you to expect mother to take an entire stranger into her home,
a girl for whom she had no liking? Why should mother do this?"

"Because I love the girl."

"You are shamelessly selfish, and a girl who could make a mother's love
for you a pretext for entering Hatton Hall as her right is not a nice
girl."

"Lucy has done nothing of the kind. She is satisfied in the hotel. Do
you want me to stay at the hotel?"

"I should feel very much hurt if you did."

"But I shall stay where my wife stays."

"You had better go and see mother. What she does I will second."

"John, can you settle the matter of the mill now? I want no more to do
with it and you know you promised to buy my share in that case."

"I want to build my home. I cannot build and buy at the same time."

"Why need you build? There is Hatton Hall for you, and mother will not
object to the nobly born Jane Harlow."

"We will not talk of Miss Harlow. Harry, my dear, dear brother, you have
come home to turn everything upside down. Let me have a little time to
think. Go and see mother. I will talk to you immediately afterwards.
Where did you leave the yacht?"

"At London. I disliked Captain Cook. I felt as if I was with a tutor of
some sort all the time. He said he would take the yacht to her wharf at
Whitby and then write to you. You ought to have a letter today. I don't
think you are very glad to see me, John."

"Oh, Harry, you have married that girl, quite regardless of how your
marriage would affect your family! You ought to have given us some time
to prepare ourselves for such a change."

"Lucy was in trouble, and I could not bear to see her in trouble."

"Well, go and see mother. Perhaps you can bear mother's trouble more
easily."

"I hope mother will be kinder to me than you have been. John, I have no
money. Let me have a thousand pounds till we settle about the mill."

"Do you know what you are asking, Harry? A thousand pounds would run
Hatton Hall for a year."

"I have to live decently, I suppose."

With these words he left the mill and went at once to the Hall. Mrs.
Hatton was in the garden, tying up some straying branches of
honeysuckle. At her feet were great masses of snowdrops tall and white
among moss and ivy, and the brown earthen beds around were cloth of gold
with splendid crocus flowers; but beyond these things, she saw her son
as soon as he reached the gate. And she called him by his name full and
hea