“How did you manage to get away?” asked Alice. She remembered that Quincy married her without his father's consent. But for the fact that she became famous by writing a popular book, he would never have welcomed her into the family. In fact, he had been “cornered” and had to surrender. So, she was full of sympathy for Maude, for her own fate might have been similar.
“That's the funny part,” said Maude. “I could get away easily enough, but I wanted my clothes and many things that I prized. I knew it was wrong, but I deceived my father. I am sorry for that, but I couldn't give Harry up.”
“What did you do?” asked Aunt Ella.
“Why, I told father if he wanted to get me away from Harry that he must let me come to England and see Florence. I didn't say I was coming to see you—”
“That wouldn't have appealed to him,” interrupted Aunt Ella.
Maude continued: “Then everything was plain sailing. He gave me money for an outfit, bought my ticket and return, found me a chaperone, a brother lawyer and his wife were coming over, and gave me five hundred dollars to spend. I consider that is my dowry, for I don't expect any more. Florence gets fifteen thousand a year and I get five hundred all in a lump. But I am not envious of Florence. She needs the money, and I don't.”
“Then your father does not know that you are married?” said Alice.
“Certainly not. Harry was on the same boat, but we never spoke to each other all the way over. We suspected that father had spoken to Mr. Harding or his wife about Harry, and so we were very circumspect and gave no cause for suspicion.”
“Well,” said Aunt Ella, “I will go with you to see Florence, but Mr. Merry—”
“Please call him Harry, Aunt Ella. Isn't he your nephew—in-law?”