"And now, Violet, tell me all about yourself, and about this second marriage of your mother's," Roderick began earnestly; "I hope you have quite reconciled yourself to the idea of it by this time."
"I have not reconciled myself; I never shall," answered Violet, with restrained anger. "I know that mamma has heaped up sorrow for herself in the days to come, and I pity her too much to be angry with her. Yes; I, who ought to look up to and respect my mother, can only look down upon her and pity her. That is a hard thing, is it not, Rorie? She has married a bad man—mean, and false—and tyrannical. Shall I tell you what he has done within these last few days?"
"Do. I hope it is not anything very bad."
Violet told how Bullfinch had been sold.
"It looks mean, certainly," said Mr. Vawdrey; "but I daresay to Captain Winstanley, as a man of the world, it might seem a foolish thing to keep a horse nobody rode; especially such a valuable horse as Bullfinch. Your father gave two hundred and fifty for him at Andover, I remember. And you really have too many horses at the Abbey House."
"Arion will be the next to be sold, I daresay."
"Oh, no, no. He could not be such an insolent scoundrel as to sell your horse. That would be too much. Besides, you will be of age in a year or two, and your own mistress."
"I shall not be of age for the next seven years. I am not to come of age till I am five-and-twenty."
"Phew!" whistled Rorie, "That's a long shot off. How is that?"
"Papa left it so in his will. It was his care of me, no doubt. He never would have believed that mamma would marry again."