"Never!" cried the old woman, out of the spirit of pure antagonism. "Never!" she repeated, closing her lips in a spasm of supposed duty. Rita's heart sank, and Dic's seemed heavier by many pounds than a few moments before, though he did not fear the apostle of justice and duty as did Rita. He hoped to marry Rita at once with her mother's consent; but if he could not have that, he would wait until the girl was eighteen, when she could legally choose for herself. Out of his confidence came calmness, and he asked,
"Why shall not Rita be my wife? She shall want for nothing, and I will try to make her happy. Why do you object?"
"Because—because I do," returned Mrs. Bays.
"In so important a matter as this, Mrs. Bays, 'because' is not a sufficient reason."
"I don't have to give you a reason," she answered sharply.
"You are a good woman, Mrs. Bays," continued Dic, with a deliberate and base intent to flatter. "No man or woman has ever had injustice at your hands, and I, who am almost your son, ask that justice which you would not refuse to the meanest person on Blue."
The attack was unfair. Is it ever fair to gain our point by flattering another's weakness? Dic's statement of the case was hard to evade, so Mrs. Margarita answered:—
"The girl's too young to marry. I'll never consent. I'll have nothing of the sort going on, for a while at any rate; give him back the ring."
Rita slipped the ring from her finger and placed it in Dic's hand.
"Now tell me," Mrs. Bays demanded, "how this came about? How came Rita to faint?"