room. He had fairly, in his deep disapproval, a
generous compassion to spare. "I'm sorry for her,
deluded woman, if she builds on you."

Kate stood a moment in the draught. " She's not
the person _I_ pity most, for, deluded in many ways
though she may be, she's not the person who's most
so. I mean," she explained, " if it's a question of
what you call building on me."

He took it as if what she meant might be other
than her description of it. " You re deceiving two
persons then, Mrs. Lowder and somebody else?"

She shook her head with detachment. " I ve no
intention of that sort with respect to any one now
to Mrs. Lowder least of all. If you fail me"
she seemed to make it out for herself " that has the
merit at least that it simplifies. I shall go my way
as I see my way."

"Your way, you mean then, will be to marry
some blackguard without a penny?"

"You ask a great deal of satisfaction," she ob
served, " for the little you give."

It brought him up again before her as with a
sense that she was not to be hustled; and, though
he glared at her a little, this had long been the prac
tical limit to his general power of objection. " If
you re base enough to incur your aunt's disgust,
you re base enough for my argument. What, if
you re not thinking of an utterly improper person,
do your speeches to me signify? Who is the beg
garly sneak? " he demanded as her response failed.

[[25]]

p024 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p025w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p026

v?