Mrs. Desmond turned round in a gust of passion and gave Ruby a ringing slap on the cheek with her white, jeweled hand.
"Take that, and behave yourself better the next time," she cried, sharply.
Ruby ran, screaming, to her father, and Mrs. Desmond cried out impatiently:
"Come, Mr. Desmond, the carriage is waiting. Mary, put the child to bed. Good-night, Ruby."
She bent to kiss the child good-night, but Ruby pushed her away with an angry scream, and ran to hide her face in Golden's skirts.
Mrs. Desmond turned away, followed by her husband, who said reproachfully as they passed from the room:
"You were needlessly cruel to the poor little thing Edith, my dear."
[CHAPTER XX.]
Mrs. Desmond came into the nursery the next morning with her arms full of new toys as a propitiatory gift to her offended little daughter.