Howard looked at her in mingled amazement and admiration. That she should have dared to confront a man as proud and obstinate as his father astounded him.
"What did he say?" he asked eagerly.
"I asked him to come publicly to your support and to give you legal assistance. He refused, saying he could not be placed in a position of condoning such a crime and that your behavior and your marriage had made him wash his hands of you forever."
Tears filled Howard's eyes and his mouth quivered.
"Then my father believes me guilty of this horrible crime?" he exclaimed.
"He insisted that you must be guilty as you had confessed. He offered, though, to give you legal assistance, but only on one condition."
"What was that condition?" he demanded.
"That I consent to a divorce," replied Annie quietly.
"What did you say?"
"I said I'd consent to anything if it would help you, but when he told me that even then he would not come personally to your support I told him we would worry along without his assistance. On that I left him."