"He is my father," she replied proudly.
"I should guess as much if your eyes were not so blue."
"I have my mother's eyes, I am told."
"Well, on that same day—you know—he told me that he was a gentleman: can you guess how?"
"I would rather you should tell me."
"I was sent to him by my father with a message, and I spoke rudely to him at first; not intentionally, but as a harum-scarum young fellow might speak to an elderly man under ordinary circumstances, I meaning nothing more than friendly familiarity. I fear you won't understand, but with you I can't help downright honesty."
"Yes, I understand. He was one of your father's clerks, and you cared little what you said to him."
"Scarcely right, Miss Bodine. With all my faults—and they are legion—I'm good-natured, and do not intentionally hurt people's feelings. What a fine proof of that I gave you in my insufferable stupidity!"
"That's been explained and is past. Please don't refer to it any more."
"Heaven knows I wish to forget it. Well, your father turned to me from his writing. One look was enough. I begged his pardon twice on the spot. That is the way he told me he was a gentleman. It had been so born and bred into him that, unless a fellow was an idiot, one glance told the story."