“Mr. Wingfield has just asked me to marry him,” she said. “And I have refused him—unconditionally.”
“You’ve done an exceedingly foolish thing, then,” answered Alexander Junior. “And you’ll be very sorry for it before long.”
He came nearer and stood by the fireplace, laying one authoritative hand upon the mantelpiece, and shaking the forefinger of the other in a warning manner.
“I’m the best judge of that,” answered Katharine, undaunted and unimpressed by his parental tone.
“You’re not,” answered Mr. Lauderdale. “You’ve acquired a habit of contradicting me lately. It seems to be a part of your plan for being as utterly undutiful and disobedient as you can. I warn you that I won’t submit to it any longer.”
“It’s of no use to threaten me, papa,” answered Katharine, controlling herself as well as she could. “And it doesn’t do any good to call me undutiful and disobedient so often. It doesn’t make it true.”
“Katharine!” cried her mother, in a tone of distress which was not artificial.
“I know what I’m saying, mother—”
“Then you should be sincerely ashamed of yourself, Katharine,” said Alexander Junior. “As sincerely as I’m ashamed that a daughter of mine should use such language.”
Katharine rose slowly from her chair and stood up before him, while her mother remained seated.