"You should not have engaged yourself to the fellow without being certain of what you were doing," fumed Marsh.
"I couldn't be more certain," retorted Hilda. "When an old man goes the length of announcing a nephew as his heir, and actually makes a will in his favour, you naturally think that nephew will get the money. It isn't my fault that the will disappeared. I wasn't to know that."
"Of course not, dear," put in Mrs. Marsh; "but as it is now you must give up Gerald."
"And marry the Major, I suppose? What do you think I'm made of, I wonder, to turn like this from one man to another? I love Gerald as much as I could love any man. Why should I give him up now?"
"Because he can't keep you," retorted her father. "Marry Arkel without a penny; why, child, you must be mad!"
"I am sure Major Dundas is a very nice man, Hilda," put in her mother.
"Very nice," assented the girl with irony—"altogether too nice to buy me. I am for sale to the highest bidder, I know, but it doesn't say because I am for sale that Major Dundas is going to buy me. He's got his own little fish to fry. He's in love with Miriam Crane!"
"What! the governess?" scoffed the doctor, holding out his cup for another cup of tea. "You needn't trouble yourself about her. From what Mrs. Darrow hinted that young lady is no better than she should be. I couldn't quite get at the facts, but there's a good deal that's queer about her, and Dundas is not the man to marry a woman with a doubtful past."
"And he most certainly is not the man to marry a girl who jilts another man because he happens to be poor."
"There will be no jilting about the matter," replied Dr. Marsh irritably. "You engaged yourself to Gerald Arkel without my knowledge. Now that it has come to my knowledge I refuse to sanction it, that's all."