Minnie followed timorously； but curious for what he should say。 She
lingered on the threshold； while her sister went in and pulled the
electric apparatus which lighted the gas…burners。 〃I suppose Dan didn't
break it？〃 she said； turning sharply upon him。
〃No； and I don't think he was to blame；〃 said Boardman； inferring her
reserved anxiety。
〃Oh； I'm quite sure of that；〃 said Eunice； rejecting what she had asked
for。 〃You'll find everything； Mr。 Boardman。 It was kind of you to come
with Dan。 Supper's at seven。〃
〃How severe you were with him！〃 murmured Minnie； following her away。
〃Severe with Dan？〃
〃Nowith Mr。 Boardman。〃
〃What nonsense！ I had to be。 I couldn't let him defend Dan to me。
Couple of silly boys！〃
After a moment Minnie said； 〃I don't think he's silly。〃
〃Who？〃
〃Mr。 Boardman。〃
〃Well； Dan is； then； to bring him at such a time。 But I suppose he felt
that he couldn't get here without him。 What a boy！ Think of such a child
being engaged！ I hope we shan't hear any more of such nonsense for one
while againat least till Dan's got his growth。〃
They went down into the library； where； in their excitement； they sat down
with most of their outdoor things on。
Minnie had the soft contrary…mindedness of gentle natures。 〃I should like
to know how you would have had Dan bear it；〃 she said rebelliously。
〃How？ Like a man。 Or like a woman。 How do you suppose Miss Pasmer's
bearing it？ Do you suppose she's got some friend to help her？〃
〃If she's broken it； she doesn't need any one；〃 urged Minnie。
〃Well；〃 said Eunice； with her high scorn of Dan unabated； 〃I never could
have liked that girl； but I certainly begin to respect her。 I think I
could have got on with hernow that it's no use。 I declare；〃 she broke
off； 〃we're sitting here sweltering to death！ What are we keeping our
things on for？〃 She began to tear hers violently off and to fling them on
chairs； scolding； and laughing at the same time with Minnie； at their
absent…mindedness。
A heavy step sounded on the verandah without。
〃There's father！〃 she cried vividly； jumping to her feet and running to
the door； while Minnie； in a nervous bewilderment； ran off upstairs to her
room。 Eunice flung the door open。 〃Well； father； we've got Dan back
again。〃 And at a look of quiet question in his eye she hurried on： 〃His
engagement's broken； and he's come up here to tell us； and brought Mr。
Boardman along to help。〃
〃Where is he？〃 asked the father； with his ruminant quiet； pulling off
first one sleeve of his overcoat； and pausing for Eunice's answer before
he pulled off the other。
XLVI。
〃He's up in his room； resting from the effort。〃 She laughed nervously；
and her father made no comment。 He took off his articles； and then went
creaking upstairs to Dan's room。 But at the door he paused； with his hand
on the knob； and turned away to his own room without entering。
Dan must have heard him； in a few minutes he came to him。
〃Well； Dan；〃 said his father； shaking hands。
〃I suppose Eunice has told you？〃 Well； I want to tell you why it
happened。〃
There was something in his father that always steadied Dan and kept him to
the point。 He now put the whole case fairly and squarely； and his candour
and openness seemed to him to react and characterise his conduct
throughout。 He did not realise that this was not so till his father said
at the close； with mild justice； 〃You were to blame for letting the thing
run on so at loose ends。〃
〃Yes； of course；〃 said Dan； seeing that he was。 〃But there was no
intention of deceiving any one of bad faith〃
〃Of course not。〃
〃I thought it could be easily arranged whenever it came to the point。〃
〃If you'd been older； you wouldn't have thought that。 You had women to
deal with on both sides。 But if it's all over； I'm not sorry。 I always
admired Miss Pasmer； but I've been more and more afraid you were not
suited to each other。 Your mother doesn't know you're here？〃
〃No； sir； I suppose not。 Do you think it will distress her？〃
〃How did your sisters take it？〃
Dan gave a rueful laugh。 〃It seemed to be rather a popular move with
them。〃
〃I will see your mother first；〃 said the father。
He left them when they went into the library after supper； and a little
later Dan and Eunice left Boardman in charge of Minnie there。
He looked after their unannounced withdrawal in comic consciousness。
〃It's no use pretending that I'm not a pretty large plurality here；〃 he
said to Minnie。
〃Oh； I'm so glad you came！〃 she cried； with a kindness which was as real
as if it had been more sincere。
〃Do you think mother will feel it much？〃 asked Dan anxiously； as he went
upstairs with Eunice。
〃Well； she'll hate to lose a correspondentsuch a regular one；〃 said
Eunice； and the affair being so far beyond any other comment； she laughed
the rest of the way to their mother's room。
The whole family had in some degree that foible which affects people who
lead isolated lives； they come to think that they are the only people who
have their virtues； they exaggerate these； and they conceive a kindness
even for the qualities which are not their virtues。 Mrs。 Mavering's life
was secluded again from the family seclusion； and their peculiarities were
intensified in her。 Besides； she had some very marked peculiarities of
her own； and these were also intensified by the solitude to which she was
necessarily left so much。 She meditated a great deal upon the character
of her children； and she liked to analyse and censure it both in her own
mind and openly in their presence。 She was very trenchant and definite in
these estimates of them； she liked to ticket them； and then ticket them
anew。 She explored their ancestral history on both sides for the origin
of their traits； and there were times when she reduced them in formula to
mere congeries of inherited characteristics。 If Eunice was self…willed
and despotic； she was just like her grandmother Mavering； if Minnie was
all sentiment and gentle stubbornness； it was because two aunts of hers；
one on either side； were exactly so； if Dan loved pleasure and beauty； and
was sinuous and uncertain in so many ways； and yet was so kind and
faithful and good； as well as shilly…shallying and undecided； it was
because her mother； and her mother's father； had these qualities in the
same combination。
When she took her children to pieces before their faces； she was sharp and
admonitory enough with them。 She warned them to what their characters
would bring them to if they did not look out； but perhaps because she
beheld them so hopelessly the present effect of the accumulated tendencies
of the family past； she was tender and forgiving to their actions。 The
mother came in there； and superseded the student of heredity： she found
excuse for them in the perversity of circumstance； in the peculiar
hardship of the case； in the malignant misbehaviour of others。
As Dan entered； with the precedence his father and sister yielded him as
the principal actor in the scene which must follow； she lifted herself
vigorously in bed； and propped herself on the elbow of one arm while she
stretched the other towards him。
〃I'm glad of it； Dan！〃 she called； at the moment he opened the door； and
as he came toward her she continued； with the amazing velocity of
utterance peculiar to nervous sufferers of her sex： 〃I know all about it；
and I don't blame you a bit！ And I don't blame her！ Poor helpless young
things！ But it's a perfect mercy it's all over； it's the greatest
deliverance I ever heard of！ You'd have been eaten up alive。 I saw it；
and I knew it from the very first moment； and I've lived in fear and
trembling for you。 You could have got on well enough if you'd been left
to yourselves； but that you couldn't have been nor hope to be as long as
you breathed； from the meddling and the machinations and the malice of
that unscrupulous and unconscionable old Cat！〃
By the time Mrs。 Mavering had hissed out the last word she had her arm
round her boy's neck and was clutching him； safe and sound after his
peril； to her breast； and between her kissing and crying she repeated her
accusals and denunciations with violent volubility。
Dan could not have replied to them in that effusion of gratitude and
tenderness he felt for his mother's partisanship； and when she went on in
almost the very terms of his self…defence； and told him that he had done
as he had because it was easy for him to yield； and he could not imagine a
Cat who would put her daughter up to entrapping him into a promise that
she knew must break his mother's heart； he found her so right on the main
point that he could not help some question of Mrs。 Pasmer in his soul。
Could she really have been at the bottom of it all？ She was very sly； and
she might be very false； and it was certainly she who had first proposed
their going abroad together。 It looked as if it might be as his mother
said； and at any rate it was no time to dispute her； and he did not say a
word in behalf of Mrs。 Pasmer； whom she continued to rend in a thousand
pieces and scatter to the winds till she had to stop breathless。
〃Yes！ it's quite as I expected！ She did everything she could to trap you
into it。 She fairly flung that poor girl at you。 She laid her plans so
that you couldn't say noshe understood your character from the start！
and then； when it came out by accident； and she saw that she had older
heads to deal with； and you were not going to be quite at her mercy； she
dropped the mask in an instant； and made Alice break with you。 Oh； I
could see through her from the beginning！ And the next time； Dan； I
advise you； as you never suspect anybody yourself； to consult with
somebody who doesn't take people for what they seem； and not to let
yourself be flattered out of your sensor； even if you see your father is。〃
Mrs。 Mavering dropped back on her pillow； and her husband smiled patiently
at their daughter。
Dan saw his patient smile and understood it； and the injustice which his
father bore made him finally unwilling to let another remain under it。
Hard as it was to oppose his mother in anything when she was praising him
so swe