“Yes, mortifying me. You have treated me as I have not deserved to be treated. I have given you a home, I have considered your welfare as attentively as I have considered the welfare of my own children; I have been lenient with you, though you would, perhaps, not be willing to admit as much—and in return I find you willing to—perhaps you are not aware that in associating with this Roberts and his crew you not only injure your own standing in this town, but injure me also. For more than a hundred years the family whose name you bear, and my own have stood for every principle of good citizenship; and that honorable reputation is to be marred through the willfulness of a youth who counts such a thing so lightly that he will toss it away for a few hours’ idle amusement!”
This grave, stern accusation was not what Paul had expected. He turned white and then blushed crimson. His vocal chords felt stiff, but at last he managed to speak.
“I—I didn’t think that Jeff Roberts was judged fairly, sir,” he stammered.
“Ah!”
“And what have I done that’s so terrible?” cried Paul, “I only—”
“You knew that you were disobeying me?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Perhaps you think that at eighteen years of age you are a better judge of character than grey headed men and women? Perhaps you think that you are old enough to be your own master?” Mr. Lambert got up. “I cannot allow willful disobedience in my house. You have been guilty of it too often. I feel now that it would be best for all concerned—for you especially—to—let you be your own master. You are free now to go where you like, make friends with whom you will, direct your own life as you please.” He stopped. There was not a sound in the room—indeed no one quite realized that Mr. Lambert’s words actually constituted a dismissal.
“Your father,” continued the old man immovably, “left with me a small amount of money, which I shall turn over to you at once. It should be sufficient to maintain you until you are able to support yourself, and I am willing to add to it if necessary. I think—I believe that in the course of time experience will show you that I have been just with you, and if you show yourself worthy I shall always be ready to help you to the best of my ability.”
Aunt Gertrude looked pleadingly at her husband, but he did not see her. No one else had courage to say anything, and indeed to do so would have been worse than useless; for whether Mr. Lambert had judged his nephew too harshly or not, it was certain that he could not be made to look at the facts of the case in a different light. To him two things were of paramount importance,—obedience to his wishes, and respect for public opinion, and Paul had offended against both of these fundamental statutes. The old merchant had not exaggerated when he said that his nephew’s conduct had mortified him.