“‘She is at the schools,’ he returned, soothingly, ‘I left her with Mrs. Grey—they will be here directly; but, Crystal, my darling, before they come in I want to have a little talk with you. You are better now, are you not? I want to tell you what I have decided to do for my child’s welfare. I am going to send her away!’
“I sprung up with an exclamation of dismay, but he put me back firmly and quietly on the couch as though I were a child, and went on with his speech.
“‘Crystal,’ he said, rather sternly, ‘I claim obedience as your guardian; I claim it legally and morally.’ Never had he spoken so severely before. ‘I am doing what costs me a great sacrifice. I am going to send you away from us for a little while for your own good; for your own peace and happiness. Alas! I see plainly now, how we have failed to secure either.’ I tried to speak, but I could not. I crushed my hands together as though they were in a vise, as I listened.
“‘Heaven knows,’ he continued, sadly, ‘how I have tried to do my duty to you, and how Margaret has tried too; how we have loved you, prayed and cared for you, never thinking of ourselves, but only of you. What have we done that you should hide your unhappiness from us? Why did you not come to me and tell me frankly, and like a brave girl, that the sacrifice I asked was too great for you to yield; that your youth and temperament demanded a different life to mine; that the quiet and monotony were killing you; would anything have been too hard for your brother’s love?’
“I shivered at the word. Oh, Raby, why—why did you utter it? who never were, who never could be a brother of mine. He had never used that word before; it bore a terrible meaning to me now.
“‘I have spoken to Doctor Connor,’ he went on, more quickly, ‘and his opinion coincides with mine; and so I have arranged it all with Mrs. Grey; surely a kinder and sweeter soul never breathed, not even our own Margaret. You are to go abroad under her care for six months; Doctor Connor advises it. Yes, it will be hard for us, but never fear, my darling, the time will soon pass.
“‘You shall go to Switzerland and Italy, and see your father’s grave, and your beautiful Florence again. You shall see fresh sights and breathe fresh air until this weary lassitude has left you, and you come back to us like our old Crystal.’
“‘I will not go, Raby,’ I exclaimed, exasperated beyond endurance at the very idea. ‘I will never go with Mrs. Grey;’ but I might as well have spoken to a rock.
“‘I am your guardian, and I tell you that you will go, Crystal,’ he returned, severely, but his sternness was only assumed to hide his pain. ‘Nay, my child,’ as he saw my face, ‘do not make it too hard for me, by a resistance that will be useless. Think how the months will fly by, and how the change will benefit you, and how good it is of our dear Mrs. Grey to give up her peaceful home and her work just for your sake and mine.’
“His sake! He was driving me mad. Ah, it was on me now. He might talk or he might be silent, but this would make itself heard.