o remonstrance.

"You are quite right to keep the child in order," she said. "But you
needn't treat her like that. I call it brutal."

"You can call it what you like," said Ermsted. "I did it quite as much
for your benefit as for hers."

Netta tossed her head. "I'm not a sentimental mother," she observed.
"You won't punish me in that way. I object to a commotion, that's all."

He took her by the shoulder. "Do you?" he said. "Then I advise you to be
mighty careful, for, I warn you, my blood is up."

She made a face at him, albeit there was a quality of menace in his
hold. "Are you going to treat me as you have just treated Tessa?"

His teeth were clenched upon his lower lip. "Don't be a little devil,
Netta!" he said.

She snapped her fingers. "Then don't you be a big fool, most noble
Richard! It doesn't pay to bully a woman. She can always get her own
back one way or another. Remember that!"

He gripped her suddenly by both arms. "By Heaven!" he said passionately.
"I'll do worse than beat you if you dare to trifle with me!"

She tried to laugh, but his look frightened her. She turned as white as
the muslin wrap she wore. "Richard--Dick--don't," she gasped helplessly.

He held her locked to him. "You've gone too far," he said.

"I haven't, Dick! I haven't!" she protested. "Dick, I swear to you--I
have never--I have never--"

He stopped the words upon her lips with his own, but his kiss was
terrible. She shrank from it trembling, appalled.

In a moment he let her go, and she sank upon her couch, hiding her
quivering face with convulsive weeping.

"You are cruel! You are cruel!" she sobbed.

He remained beside her, looking down at her till some of the sternness
passed from his face.

He bent at last and touched her. "I'm not cruel," he said. "I'm just in
earnest, that's all. You be careful for the future! There's a bit of the
devil in me too when I'm goaded."

She drew herself away from him, half-frightened still and half petulant.
"You used to be--ever so much nicer than you are now," she said, keeping
her face averted.

He answered her sombrely as he turned away, "I used to have a wife that
I honoured before all creation."

She sprang to her feet. "Dick! How can you be so horrid?"

He shrugged his shoulders as he walked to the door. "I was--a big fool,"
he said very bitterly.

The door closed upon him. Netta stood staring at it, tragic and
tear-stained.

Suddenly she stamped her foot and whirle