"Whose then?" sharply asked Mr. Thornton.
"Mine," I replied in a low tone, "I was naughty."
"And were sent to school by way of punishment. Do you like being here?"
"Not much. I am alone now; these are the holidays."
"And whilst the other children are at home, you spend yours here."
I did not reply; Mr. Thornton looked at Cornelius, and still leaning his two hands on the head of his cane, he said, with some severity—
"Sir, when nearly three years ago you called to take away that child, you chose to express pretty frankly your opinion of the way in which she was treated in my house. I shall be every bit as frank with you. I tell you plainly, Sir, that I do not approve of your conduct. You had of your own accord assumed a duty no one sought to impose upon you; you should either have fulfilled or relinquished it. I told you, if the child proved troublesome or in the way, to send her back to me. I can afford, Sir, to put her in a school and pay for her, without burdening you with her support. I do not say you were not justified in getting rid of an inconvenience; I simply say you had no right not to get rid of it altogether."
Cornelius bit his lip, as if to check the temptation to reply. Mr.
Thornton, laying his hand on my shoulder, resumed—
"You are old enough to understand all this: Mr. O'Reilly finding you in the way—"
"Sir," began Cornelius. .