'Look to your daughter,' he said.
'What do you mean?' I asked, quite frightened. 'If you were a true
mother,' he replied, 'you would no more leave her with that roue
Sibley, than with so much pitch. Yet he is courting her openly;
and what is worse, she receives his addresses, and permits herself
to be identified with him.' 'Oh, pshaw,' I answered carelessly;
'Sibley is about on a par with half the young men in society, and
Ida might do a great deal worse. No fear of her; for there isn't
a girl living who knows how to take care of herself better than
she.' 'Bah!' he said, 'if she knew how to take care of herself,
she would permit a snake to touch her sooner than that man. Ida
might do worse, might she? God knows how: I don't. A pretty family
we shall be when he is added to our charming group. The mud will
predominate then;' and with that he opened a bottle of brandy and
drank himself stupid."
As Mrs. Mayhew rattled this conversation off in a loud whisper,
Ida seemed turning into stone, but at its close she said icily:
"In speaking of such a union as possible, my parents have shown
their opinion of me. Good-night. I wish to be alone."
"But did anything happen between you to set your father off so?"
persisted Mrs.
Pages:
262
263
264
265
266
267
268
269
270
271
272
273
274
275
276
277
278
279
280
281
282
283
284
285
286