daughter--but hardness nevertheless, that made
every compromise a bargain and every charity a discount.

"And so you have been thinking?" her father began, quoting her letter
and looking over his slanting glasses at her. "Well, my girl, I wish you
had thought about all these things before these bothers began."

Ann Veronica perceived that she must not forget to remain eminently
reasonable.

"One has to live and learn," she remarked, with a passable imitation of
her father's manner.

"So long as you learn," said Mr. Stanley.

Their conversation hung.

"I suppose, daddy, you've no objection to my going on with my work at
the Imperial College?" she asked.

"If it will keep you busy," he said, with a faintly ironical smile.

"The fees are paid to the end of the session."

He nodded twice, with his eyes on the fire, as though that was a formal
statement.

"You may go on with that work," he said, "so long as you keep in harmony
with things at home. I'm convinced that much of Russell's investigations
are on wrong lines, unsound lines. Still--you must learn for yourself.
You're of age--you're of age."

"The work's almost essential for the B.Sc. exam."

"It's scandalous, but I suppose it is."

Their agreement so far seemed remarkable, and yet as a home-coming the
thing was a little lacking in warmth. But Ann Veronica had still to get
to her chief topic. They were silent for a time. "It's a period of crude
views and crude work," said Mr. Stanley. "Still, these Mendelian fellows
seem likely to give Mr. Russell trouble, a good lot of trouble. Some of
their specimens--wonderfully selected, wonderfully got up."

"Daddy," said Ann Veronica, "these affairs--being away from home
has--cost money."

"I thought you would find that out."

"As a matter of fact, I happen to have got a little into debt."

"NEVER!"

Her heart sank at the change in his expression.

"Well, lodgings and things! And I paid my fees at the College."

"Yes. But how could you get--Who gave you credit?

"You see," said Ann Veronica, "my landlady kept on my room while I
was in Holloway, and the fees for the College mounted up pretty
considerably." She spoke rather quickly, because she found her father's
question the most awkward she had ever had to answer in her life.

"Molly and you settled about the rooms. She said you HAD some money."

"I borrowed it," said Ann Veronica in a casual tone, with white despair
in her heart.

"But who could