aunt, I hope?' cried Nuttie.

'My dear, when you see him, you will know how impossible it is. He
_has_ that high-bred manner it is as if he were conferring a favour.
"Miss Headworth, I conclude," said he, "a lady to whom I owe more than
I can express." Just as if I had done it for his sake.' Miss Nugent
felt this open expression dangerous on account of the daughter, and she
looked her consternation at Mr. Dutton, who had quietly entered,
ruthlessly shutting Gerard Godfrey out with only such a word of
explanation as could be given on the way.

'Then he comes with--with favourable intentions,' said Mary, putting as
much admonition as she could into her voice.

'Oh! no doubt of that,' said Miss Headworth, drawing herself together.
'He spoke of the long separation,--said he had never been able to find
her, till the strange chance of his nephew stumbling on her at Abbots
Norton.'

'That is--possib--probably true,' said Mr. Dutton.

'It can't be,' broke in Nuttie. 'He never troubled himself about it
till his nephew found the papers. You said so, Aunt Ursel! He is a
dreadful traitor of a man, just like Marmion, or Theseus, or Lancelot,
and now he is telling lies about it! Don't look at me. Aunt Ursel,
they are lies, and I _will_ say it, and he took in poor dear mother
once, and now he is taking her in again, and I can't bear that he
should be my father!'

It was so entirely true, yet so shocking to hear from her mouth, that
all three stood aghast, as she stood with heaving chest, crimson
cheeks, and big tears in her eyes. Miss Headworth only muttered, 'Oh,
my poor child, you mustn't!'

Mr. Dutton prevented another passionate outburst by his tone of grave,
gentle authority. 'Listen a moment, Ursula,' he said. 'It is
unhappily true that this man has acted in an unjustifiable way towards
your mother and yourself. But there are, no doubt, many more excuses
for him than you know of, and as I found a few years ago that the
people at Dieppe had lost the address that had been left with them, he
must have found no traces of your mother there. You cannot understand
the difficulties that may have been in his way. And there is no use,
quite the contrary, in making the worst of him. He has found your
mother out, and it seems that he claims her affectionately, and she
forgives and welcomes him--out of the sweet tenderness of her heart.'

'She may--but I can't,' murmured Nuttie.

'That is not a fit thing for a daugh