ns
of her. Think of Mr. Holway. Is there a young man like him in Trumet?
Think of Cousin Percy!"

That was quite enough. Serena rose, her eyes flashing.

"Stop!" she cried. "Stop this minute! Gertrude Dott, your father and I
are going back to Trumet and you are going with us."

"Oh, no, I'm not. Why, Cousin Percy--"

"Don't you dare mention his name to me."

"Why not? He is very gentlemanly and very aristocratic. You told me
that when I first came, Mother. You were always talking about him and
praising him then. And I'm sure he moves in the highest circles; he says
he does, himself."

"He is a good-for-nothing loafer. He has sponged upon your father--"

"You have often spoken of him as an honor to the family."

"A good-for-nothing, dissipated, fast--"

"Oh, a little dissipation is expected in society, isn't it?"

"I should think you would be ashamed!"

"Why? I haven't done a thing that you haven't done, Mother. That is,
nothing which your friends don't do every day. They are ever so much
more advanced than I am. I have only begun. No, indeed, I am not going
back to plain, common, everyday old Trumet. I shall stay here and
progress. You and your friends have shown me what is expected of a girl
in my position and I shall take advantage of my opportunities. Why, Mrs.
Black says that, if I play my cards well, I may catch a millionaire,
perhaps a foreign nobleman. How would you like to be mother-in-law to
a--well, to a count, for instance?"

Mrs. Dott did not answer this question. Instead she turned to her
husband.

"Daniel," she cried, "are you going to stand this? Are you that girl's
father, or aren't you? Are you going to make her mind, or not?"

Daniel would have spoken, but his daughter got ahead of him.

"Oh, Father doesn't count," she observed lightly. "No one minds what he
says. He didn't want to move to Scarford at all. No one minds him."

Serena stamped her foot. "Daniel Dott," she cried, "do you hear that? I
call upon you, as the head of this family, to tell that girl what she's
got to do, and make her do it."

Captain Dan stepped forward. Gertrude merely laughed. That laugh settled
the question.

"Gertie," ordered the captain, his voice, the old quarter-deck voice
which had been law aboard the Bluebird, "you march your boots to your
room and pack up. We're goin' to Trumet and you're goin' along with us.
March! or, by the everlastin', I'll carry you there and lock you in! You
speak another w