"What does she say?" the judge demanded.

"What do you suppose?" his wife retorted. "She thinks she ought to see
him."

"Very well, then. We will go to Europe."

"Not on my account!" Mrs. Kenton consciously protested.

"No; not on your account, or mine, either. On Nelly's account. Where is
she? I want to talk with her."

"And I want to talk with you. She's out, with Lottie; and when she comes
back I will tell her what you say. But I want to know what you think,
first."




III.

It was some time before they arrived at a common agreement as to what
Kenton thought, and when they reached it they decided that they must
leave the matter altogether to Ellen, as they had done before. They
would never force her to anything, and if, after all that her mother
could say, she still wished to see the fellow, they would not deny her.

When it came to this, Ellen was a long time silent, so long a time that
her mother was beginning restively to doubt whether she was going to
speak at all. Then she drew a long, silent breath. "I suppose I ought