'Really, my dear, you were—were rather rude. You should not be that, least of all to an inferior. It angers an equal, it cuts an inferior.'
'Father, he has occasioned mother and me much wretchedness.'
'How?'
'By causing cruel, untrue things to be said of us. He has made our lives miserable.'
'Not—not about—ahem! Has he insinuated——'
'I need not tell you about what, further than that it concerns money.'
'Oh, money! What about that?'
'If you desire to know more, it is that he said, or perhaps it is more true to say he has caused it to be said, that mother is well off and able to send me here, because she stole money from his father; but I know better, for one reason, because she could not do a wrong thing; and next because the money came from you. But first of all because mother could not do it. The money was from you, was it not, father?'
'Certainly it was. I sent to her money repeatedly, and of late, liberally.'