"I only wish to tell them the truth."
"Just as you please."
"Brother!" and Mrs. Dorriman leaned forward a little, and her gentle face flushed a little, "these children are living here with you by your wish; you must not make it hard for them."
"Saul among the prophets! Why, you are coming out in quite a new light."
Mrs. Dorriman shrank back again. She might have answered him and said that for these girls she had more courage than for herself, but she knew the wisdom of silence and she held her peace.
"What do you think they will do?" He asked the question with assumed indifference.
"I think they will go away. They are both high-spirited girls. Margaret feels it so much—she feels any slight offered to Grace more even than Grace does herself; she is perfectly devoted to her sister."
"You must prevent their going—at any rate in this way," he said, not looking at her, but looking straight into the fire.
"How can I prevent it?" said the poor woman, helplessly; she felt as though life was very hard to her.
He did not answer her, but went on looking straight before him.