Dr. Serviss. She felt again the touch of his deft, strong
hands, and heard again the tender cadence of his voice as he said: "I
hope you are not in pain? We will release you very soon." She dwelt
long upon the final scene at the table, when, with a jesting word on
his lips, but with love in his eyes, he took her hand to remove the
marks of her bonds; and the flush that came to her was not one of
anger--it rose from the return of her joy of those few moments of
sweet companionship.

How sane and strong and safe he was. "He does not believe in our
faith, but he does not hate me. How Dr. Weissmann loves him! They are
like father and son."

Thinking upon these people and their home, with their griefs, their
easy, off-hand, penetrating comments, their laughter filling her ears,
the girl grew drowsy with some foreknowledge of happier days to come,
and fell asleep with a faint smile upon her lips.

She woke late to find her mother bending over her, and lifting her
arms she drew the gray head down to her soft, young bosom and
penitently said: "Mamma, forgive me. I am sorry I spoke as I did. I am
not angry this morning, but I am determined. We must go away from here
this very day."

The mother did not at once reply, but when she spoke her voice
trembled a little. "I guess you're right, dearie. This house seems
like a prison to me this morning. But what troubles me most is this:
Why do Maynard and father permit us to stay here? I am afraid of Mr.
Pratt--everybody says he will make us trouble, and yet our dear ones
urge us to remain."

"Mamma," gravely replied Viola, "I want to tell you something that
came to me this morning. I wonder if _what grandfather says is not
made up of what Pratt and Anthony want_?"

"What do you mean, child?" asked the mother, sitting back into a chair
and staring at her daughter with vague alarm.

"I mean that--that--grandfather, strong as he seems to be, is
influenced in some way by Tony. He goes against my wishes and against
your wishes, but _he never goes against Tony's_."

The mother pondered. "But that is because Tony is content to follow
_his_ will."

The girl lost her firm tone. "I know that interpretation can be given
to it, but to-day I _feel_ that it is the other way, and, besides, it
may be that grandfather doesn't realize all our troubles."

The mother rose. "It's all very worrisome, and I wish some change
would come. I dread to meet Mr. Pratt, but I suppose I must."

"Don't g