things that are absolutely vulgar and unbefitting a
girl of your age; you must be fourteen, at least, you look older, you
are certainly old enough to know better. You are not a proper playmate
for our children. You are boisterous and unladylike. You--you--are a
perfect hoyden!"

The stranger paused for breath, while Nan surveyed her with a look of
calm indifference; an air of unconcern in anything she might say or
think that seemed as insolent as it was exasperating.

"You are a perfect hoyden!" repeated the stern voice in rising anger.
"Whatever you do is done in such a loud, violent fashion that it
becomes perfectly unbearable. You play ball with boys. You climb
fences and trees. You are continually flying up and down the street on
your detestable roller-skates and shouting until the neighborhood seems
like Bedlam, and you don't appear to have the vaguest idea that
people's rights need not be infringed on in such a manner; that they
have the right to peace and quiet in their own homes. Even if you
would content yourself with your own disorderliness! But you are not
satisfied with doing what you know must annoy others; you seem to take
a malicious delight in bringing the little children under your
influence and making them long to follow your example. You cannot have
the first shadow of generosity or bravery in your nature, or you would
not urge them to do what you know their parents would disapprove of.
You teach them to disobey. My daughter never told an untruth in her
life until the other day. I have no reason to doubt that you taught
her to tell that untruth!"

Nan's cheeks suddenly became white, but she did not open her lips.

"If you cannot be restrained by your own people at home you shall be by
some other means. They say your own people are respectable; how can
you disgrace them so?"

Nan deigned no reply, but her lip curled contemptuously.

"They say your mother is dead."

Again no answer.

"Where is your father?"

"My father is in India. He is in Bombay," announced Nan, deliberately.

"Who has control of you in his absence?"

"No one!" declared the girl with decision.

Mrs. Newton surveyed the lank, overgrown, girlish figure with
unconcealed scorn.

"Do you know," she said with bitter distinctness, "that you are the
most shameless, unfeeling girl I have ever beheld? Any one else would
show some remorse for what she had done, but you--young as you are, you
are the hardest creatu