_you_ are at the back
of all this. Had a row?"

"Oh, I don't care to talk about it," she said, with a movement as though
to pass on.

"But you must care to talk about it, my dear girl; at any rate for my
satisfaction. You had to consult me, didn't you, in order to bring
about this engagement? and now if you've thrown the man over--and it
looks deucedly as if you had--I've a right to know why. Here--come in
here."

Squire Courtland was by no means of the type usually described as "one
of the old school," except in so far that he was very much master in his
own house. For the rest, he prided himself on being exceedingly
up-to-date--and his estimate of woman was almost savage in its cynicism.
Between himself and Violet there was an utter lack of sympathy;
resulting, now that she was grown up, in an occasional and very
unpleasant passage of arms.

"If I've thrown the man over!" quoted Violet angrily, when they were
alone in her father's own private `den,' "of course you are sure to take
his part."

"I must know what `his part' is before taking it or not. You women
always expect us to hang a man first and try him afterwards; or rather
to hang him on your sweet evidence alone, and not try him at all."

"Oh, father, please don't talk to me in that horrid tone," restraining
with vast effort the paroxysm of sobbing which threatened, and which she
knew would only irritate him. "I am not feeling so extra happy, I can
tell you."

"Well, get it over then. What has Lamont done?"

"I can't marry a coward."

"Eh? A coward? Lamont? Have you taken leave of your senses, girl?"

"Well, listen. You shall hear," she said crisply. And then she gave
him an account of the whole affair.

"Is that all?" he said when she had done.

"All?"

"Yes. All?"

"Yes, it is. I don't see what more there could be. I urged him to try
and save the boy, and he refused. Refused!"

"And, by the Lord, he was right!" cried the Squire. "The answer he gave
you was absolutely the right one, my child. If it had been yourself
you'd have seen how he'd have gone in, but for a man of Lamont's strong
common-sense to go and throw away his life for a gallows' brat that has
only been fished out of the mere to be hanged later on in due course--
why, I'm glad he's justified the good opinion I had of him."

"Then, father, you think he was justified in refusing to save life under
any circumstances?" said Violet, very white and hard. There wa