links, of the horse's hocks, and Pa laughed, my!

"He laughs best who laughs last," growled Ma.

"Just think, Ma," said Lily, taking courage from Pa's merriment. "That old
rogue forbids his daughter to write, he pretends that...."

"And quite right too!" said Ma. "What do girls want with writing? And who
do you mean? What old rogue? You don't mean Mr. Fuchs, I suppose?"

"Why, yes, Ma, old Fuchs."

"Old Fuchs! You chit, to talk like that of respectable people! Go to your
room, impudence! Dry bread for you!"

"But, Ma...!" said Lily rebelliously.

"That's what comes of it," said Mrs. Clifton, addressing her husband,
"when a mother no longer has the right to correct her daughter."

And she pointed to Lily, who persisted in remaining, who was even
beginning an explanation:

"But, Pa ... but...."

"Obey your mother first," said Clifton.

"Yes, Pa."

And Lily went out, very anxious at the turn which things had taken.

Clifton realized that he had perhaps been wrong that morning to blame Mrs.
Clifton in Lily's presence. He was wrong also to laugh at old Fuchs before
Lily. But, all the same, that old rogue ... and they had believed it,
those Graces! That wouldn't go down with Lily!

"It's an example you ought to follow, instead of laughing at it, Mr.
Clifton!"

"Upon my word, I'm very proud of my Lily; she works well, she really
does," said Pa, stretching himself in the easy-chair. "I'm pleased with
her; you know as well as I do, a girl is not a boy. She can do with a
little spoiling. And only just now I made Lily a present of a gold watch
and chain."

"Then I give up!" said Ma, in a voice of exasperation. "Then I give up!
Why should I take all this trouble bringing up your daughter? A little
spendthrift who will bring us all to the workhouse! And a good thing when
she does!"

But Pa wanted peace in his own house. That was enough of it! Peace was
what he wanted, damn it, and not a monkey-and-parrot life!

And, jumping up from his chair, he opened the door and shouted up the
staircase:

"Come down, my Lily! Your Ma says you may! The cakes are on the table."

CHAPTER IV

Pa would have covered his Lily with diamonds, if he had the money ... and
if Ma had allowed it! But, on this special point, she ventured to oppose
him. She had been Lily's age herself, had Ma, and she enlarged upon the
necessity of keeping a tight rein on Lily.

Ma enumerated the fugitives: Ave Maria, and this one, and that on