orgery!
Scandal, ha, ha! All her fine friends will stand by her now, of course.
Unnatural father, eh? Unnatural, because he knew what he was dealing
with. I knew my own flesh and blood. Like her mother--couldn't hold a
penny. Yet, married a beggar--and ruined him, too--ha, ha! Goes to church
three times on Sundays, and casts up her eyes to heaven, pleading for
sinners, and gambles all night at bridge. Now, she'll have the joy of
seeing her son in the dock--her dear son who was always dealt hardly
with by his grandfather, because his grandfather knew the breed. No sense
of the value of money. No brains! I'll have my revenge now. Yes, yes.
What are you staring at, sir? Get out of the room. How dare you insult my
daughter?"

"I said nothing, sir."

"Then, what are you waiting for? Get back to your bank, and look after my
money."

CHAPTER X

HEARTS ACHE AND ACHE YET DO NOT BREAK

"That's right, my girl, play away. It's good to hear the piano going
again. And, between ourselves, I'm beginning to feel depressed by the
stillness of the house. It's difficult to believe that this is home since
we took on hospital work. Between ourselves, I sha'n't be sorry when
Ormsby says good-bye. As a strong man and a soldier, I like him; but, as
a sick man, I've had enough of him. Never had a fancy for ambulance work
or being near the hospital base."

"I, too, shall be glad when we have the house to ourselves," observed
Dora. "Of course, I'm fearfully sorry for Captain Ormsby, and all that;
but I do wish he'd go. He's not very ill now. Couldn't you throw out a
hint about his going, father?"

"Impossible! I--I am not a strategist; but you are. I will leave him to
you, and you must get to work. But I don't know what you've got to
grumble about with a man like Ormsby in the house to amuse you and admire
you all the time."

The colonel turned on his heel, and was out of the room before Dora could
stop him.

She got up from the piano, and pushed the stool aside, impatiently. Her
lovely face was clouded, and two little lines above the curving arch of
her eyebrows were deeply set in thought. Ormsby's continued presence
filled her with uneasy dread. For the past two weeks, he had watched her
with an intentness that was embarrassing. She knew that he meant to
propose to her, if he succeeded in finding her alone; and she was
undecided as to whether she should give, or deny, him the opportunity of
hearing the worst. Perhaps, it wou