looking at Adelaide: "Papa
never intended that my dowry should be taken out of my share. It was a
present." She looked calmly at her mother. "Just like your jewels,
mamma." She turned her clear, luminous eyes upon Ross. "Just like the
opportunities he gave you to get your independent fortune."

Mrs. Whitney, trembling so that she could scarcely articulate, retorted:
"At the time he said, and I told you, it was to come out of your share.
And how you thanked me and kissed me and--" She stretched toward Ellen
her shaking old woman's hands, made repellent by the contrasting splendor
of magnificent black pearl rings. "O Ellen, Ellen!" she quavered. "I
think my heart will burst!"

"You did _say_ he said so," replied Janet softly, "but _he_ never
told _me_."

"You--you--" stuttered Ross, flinging out his arms at her in a
paroxysm of fury.

"I refuse to discuss this any further," said Janet, drawing herself up
in the full majesty of her black-robed figure and turning her long
shapely back on Ross. "Mrs. Ranger, I'm sure you and Del realize that
mother and Ross are terribly upset, and not--"

"They'll realize that you are a cheat, a vulture in the guise of woman!"
cried Mrs. Whitney. "Ellen, tell her what she is!"

Mrs. Ranger, her eyes down and her face expressing her agonized
embarrassment, contrived to say: "You mustn't bring me in, Mattie.
Adelaide and I must go."

"No, you _shall_ hear!" shrieked Mrs. Whitney, barring the way. "All the
world shall hear how this treacherous, ingrate daughter of mine--oh, the
sting of that!--how she purposes to steal, yes, steal four times as much
of her father's estate as Ross or I get. Four times as much! I can't
believe the law allows it! But whether it does or not, Janet Whitney,
_God_ won't allow it! God will hear my cry, my curse on you."

"My conscience is clear," said Janet, and her gaze, spiritual, exalted,
patient, showed that she spoke the truth, that her mother's looks and
words left her quite unscathed.

Ross vented a vicious, jeering laugh. His mother, overcome with the
sense of helplessness, collapsed from rage to grief and tears. She
turned to Mrs. Ranger. "Your Hiram was right," she wailed, "and my
Charles said so just before he went. Look at my daughter, Ellen. Look at
my son--for he, too, is robbing me. He has his own fortune that his dead
father made for him; yet he, too, talks about his legal rights. He
demands his full third!"

Adelaide did not look at Ross