“Yes, my dear. He said that I was a—well, I will not tell you what, for not stopping it directly, for that Harry was rapidly drifting into a bad course—that it was a hopeless case.”
“That is not the way to redeem him, father.”
“No, my dear, it is not. But you were going to say something to me?”
“Yes,” said Madelaine, hesitating. Then putting down her work she rose and went to her father’s side, knelt down, and resting her arms upon his knees, looked straight up in his face.
“Well, Maddy?”
“I wanted to speak to you about Harry Vine.”
There was a slight twitching about the merchant’s brows, but his face was calm directly, and he said coolly—
“What about Harry Vine?”
Madelaine hesitated for a few moments, and then spoke out firmly and bravely.
“I have been thinking about his position, father, and of how sad it is for him to be wasting his days as he is down here.”