"There's nothing I understand so well, always,
as the things I needn t! But what I want to do,
you see," he went on, " is to put it to your con
science that you ve an admirable opportunity; and
that it's moreover one for which, after all, damn
you, you ve really to thank me."

"I confess I don't see," Kate observed, " what
my conscience has to do with it."

"Then, my dear girl, you ought simply to be
ashamed of yourself. Do you know what you re
a proof of, all you hard, hollow people together?"
He put the question with a charming air of sudden
spiritual heat. " Of the deplorably superficial moral
ity of the age. The family sentiment, in our vul
garised, brutalised life, has gone utterly to pot.
There was a day when a man like me by which
I mean a parent like me would have been for a
daughter like you a quite distinct value; what's
called in the business world, I believe, an asset.
He continued sociably to make it out. "I'm not
talking only of what you might, with the right
feeling do for me, but of what you might it's what
I call your opportunity do with me. Unless in
deed," he the next moment imperturbably threw off,
"they come a good deal to the same thing. Your
duty as well as your chance, if you re capable of
seeing it, is to use me. Show family feeling by
seeing what I'm good for. If you had it as 7?? have
it you'd see I'm still good well, for a lot of things.
There's in fact, my dear," Mr. Croy wound up,

[[19]]

p018 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p019w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p020

v?