sacrificing yourself, for heaven's sake let it be for something
bigger than a relic. A live neighbour is a much better thing to
make sacrifices for than a dead grandfather."

"I don't care one bit what his grandfather was or whether he ever
had any or not!" cried Lila, in an outburst of indignation; "and
more than that, I don't care what mine was, either. I am going to
marry him--I am--I am! Don't look at me like that, Cynthia. Do
you want to spoil my whole life?"

Cynthia threw out her hands with a despairing grasp of the air,
as if she were reaching for the broken remnants of the family
pride. "To marry a Weatherby!" she gasped. "Oh, mother! mother!
Lila, is it possible that you can be so selfish?" But Lila had
won her freedom too dearly to surrender it to an appeal.

"I want to be selfish," she said stubbornly. "I have never been
selfish in my life, and I want to see what it feels like. Oh, you
are cruel, all of you, and you will break my heart."

Christopher's face paled and grew stern.

"We must all think of mother's wishes, Lila," he said gravely.

For the first time the girl lost her high fortitude, and a
babyish quiver shook her lips. Her glance wavered and fell, and
with a pathetic gesture she turned from Christopher to Cynthia
and from Cynthia to Tucker.

"Oh, you can't understand, Christopher!" she cried; "you have