Soon after, Mr. Martell and his daughter took their departure, with many sincere and graceful acknowledgments of the kindness they had received.
Many were the words of force and wisdom that Miss Martell had read and heard, but never had any made so profound an impression upon her as the vain vaporings of De Forrest, as he insisted on claiming all the credit he could for his action the evening before.
"Did he exaggerate," she asked herself a hundred times, "when he said, 'It was well I was there; for Mr. Harcourt was beside himself, and was ready to venture out upon a plank to your aid'? I fear he did."
Her father surmised something of her thoughts and said gently, "I fear we have done Mr. Harcourt injustice."
"Yes, father," she answered, "I think we have."
"Well," he said, after a moment, "I never had a pleasanter duty than the amends I purpose making. It cut me to the heart to think the son of my old friend had permitted a stranger to come to our rescue."
"I feel sure that Mr. Harcourt would have come also, had it been in his power," she said, with quiet emphasis.
"You always stood up for Tom," said her father, gently.
But she made no answer.
Mr. Martell then questioned his coachman somewhat.