The glow and
fire of the whole gesture--the daring of it, and yet the suggestion of
womanish weakness in the hand which trembled against her dress and in
the twitching lip--if it had been fine acting, it could not have been
more complete. And, in a sense, acting there was in it. Marcella's
emotions were real, but her mind seldom deserted her. One half of her
was impulsive and passionate; the other half looked on and put in
finishing touches.

Acting or no, the surprise of her outburst swept the man beside her off
his feet. He found himself floundering in a sea of excuses--not for his
relations, but for himself. He ought never to have intruded; it was
odious, unpardonable; he had no business whatever to put himself in her
way! Would she please understand that it was an accident? It should not
happen again. He quite understood that she could not regard him with
friendliness. And so on. He had never so lost his self-possession.

Meanwhile Marcella's brows contracted. She took his excuses as a fresh
offence.

"You mean, I suppose, that I have no right to ask such questions!" she
cried; "that I am not behaving like a lady--as one of your relations
would? Well, I dare say! I was not brought up like that. I was not
brought up at all; I have had to make myself. So you must avoid me if
you like. Of course you will. But I resolved there--in the church--that
I would make just one effort, before everything crystallises, to break
through. If we must live on here hating our neighbours and being cut by
them, I thought I would just ask you why, first. There is no one else to
ask. Hardly anybody has called, except the Hardens, and a few new people
that don't matter. And _I_ have nothing to be ashamed of," said the girl
passionately, "nor has mamma. Papa, I suppose, did some bad things long
ago. I have never known--I don't know now--what they were. But I should
like to understand. Is everybody going to cut us because of that?"

With a great effort Aldous Raeburn pulled himself together, certain fine
instincts both of race and conduct coming to his help. He met her
excited look by one which had both dignity and friendliness.

"I will tell you what I can, Miss Boyce. If you ask me, it is right I
should. You must forgive me if I say anything that hurts you. I will try
not--I will try not!" he repeated earnestly. "In the first place, I know
hardly anything in detail. I do not remember that I have ever wished to
know. But I gather that