Hearing a note of pitiable weakness in her voice, he offered to come in himself.
He came that afternoon about three—an excellent time, for Lita was upstairs and Dacer was occupied with office hours. Mrs. Hazlitt sent Freebody to ask her daughter to come down, while she apologized to her former husband for troubling him again.
"But the fact is," she said, "turning a young man out of the house—that really is a father's job."
"Even if it isn't the father's house?"
"It's no affair of Doctor Dacer's whose house it is," answered Mrs. Hazlitt with dignity. "You see, a mother's relation with a daughter is too intimate, too tender—"
"I hope a father's may be both."
"I suppose it might, but it's not like a mother's. She respects you deeply, Jim. I've brought her up to that."
"Have you, Alita?"
A hint of skepticism in his voice wounded Mr. Hazlitt.
"Of course I have," she answered. "Why, what do you mean? Are you trying to suggest—how unjust! Lita," she added, as her daughter entered, "have I ever said a word that could in any way reflect on your father? Haven't I always brought you up to respect him?"