"Bellaria Dondi. Precisely. Well?"
"Why fence in this way, Rebb?" asked the young man, "you have heard from Bellaria that I----"
"Yes," interrupted the Major, leaning forward and gripping the arms of his chair with an angry expression on his face, "Bellaria has told me of your secret visits to the Pixy's House. I must say that you have behaved very badly, Haskins. This is not the kind of thing I expected from you."
"Really," Gerald raised his eyebrows, "we have not been intimate, that you should expect me to consider your feelings."
"Since my future wife was your mother's friend and is yours," said Rebb, with dignity, "I was quite willing to admit you to a certain degree of intimacy. Now the case is altered."
"Because I love your ward?"
"No. Because you went by stealth to see her. If you had come to me, I could have explained her unhappy condition."
"I am quite certain that you could," retorted Gerald, looking straight at his enemy, as he was convinced the Major was, "but is there any need of an explanation? Everyone hereabouts declares that Miss Durham is insane, and not responsible for her actions."
A flash of pleasure came and went in Rebb's dark eyes for the moment, and then he looked hypocritically sad. "Poor girl! It is only too true."
"I don't agree with you there," said Haskins quietly.