"Well, Clarke did."

Clarke hastily interposed: "The 'chief control' asked for it--said he
wanted to talk to some of those present."

"I don't care what the 'chief control' said--"

Viola, thoroughly roused, now faced him, pale and scornful. "What
right have you to ask where I've been or what I've done? I am not your
servant--nor one of your poor relatives. You seem to forget that. I
will not be your guest another day! I'd leave this house this instant
if I could. I came here against my wish, and I will not be insulted by
you any longer. I wish I had never seen you." And with haughty step
she started to pass him.

He put out a hand to stay her. "Hold on, now!"

With flashing eyes and a voice that smote him like a whip, she cried
out, "Leave me alone, please!" He fell back against the wall, and she
passed on and up the stairway, leaving him leaning there in dismay,
his jaw lax.

The mother hastily followed, and as the door closed behind them Viola
turned with blazing eyes. "This is horrible--disgraceful! I hope you
enjoy being treated like that! How can you endure it? How can you ask
me to endure it? If Anthony Clarke possessed one shred of real
manhood--But he hasn't. He's so selfishly bent on his own plans he's
willing to let me suffer anything. I'm done with him, mother. You
needn't try to find excuse for him. I don't see how I endured him so
long. He must never touch me again."

"Don't do anything rash, child."

"Will you submit to more insult? You can stay on till you are ordered
out of the house if you like, but I will not!"

"But you know they advise it."

The girl turned, a new tone in her voice. "There, now, mother, we come
back to that again! I'm tired of hearing that. If they insist on our
staying here I will be sure they are the voices of devils and not
those they claim to be. I don't believe my father would ask me to stay
in a house where the very servants sniff at us. I don't believe he
would let Anthony make use of me in this way. Professor Serviss calls
our faith a delusion, and to-night I almost hope he's right. I have
lost the spirit of the martyr, and everything seems foolish to me."

Mrs. Lambert regarded her daughter with horror. "Child, some
earth-bound spirit has surely taken possession of you."

"I hope it will stay till to-morrow--till I get out of this house,"
she replied, and went to her own room without a good-night kiss,
leaving her mother hurt and dismayed.

A few moments