She turned and quickly left the room. In a moment Norman entered and stood facing his father.
The Colonel flushed with anger at sight of the insolence with which the younger man calmly surveyed him.
"Well, sir," the father said, at length, "have you nothing to say to me after what has occurred to-day?"
"I was under the impression that you had something to say to me," was the cool answer.
By an effort of will the older man crushed back an angry retort, smiled, and said:
"Sit down, please—I've a good deal to say to you."
Norman threw himself lazily into a chair, and continued to watch his father with a curious expression of half-amused contempt. The Colonel stood in silence, evidently struggling with his emotions, and feeling for the right word with which to begin.
Norman anticipated him.
"Honestly, now, Governor, just between us, don't you think you were a little bit absurd to-day?"
"Absurd?" his father broke in with rising accent.