want to know why we left Ilford, _that's_ why. He persecuted your poor
father. He persecuted your Uncle Victor. And now he's persecuting me."

"Persecuting?"

"What is it but persecuting? Threatening that he won't answer for the
consequences if he doesn't get what he wants. He's mistaken if he thinks
that's the way to get it."

"What--_does_ he want?"

"I suppose," her mother said, "he thinks he wants to marry you."

"Me? He doesn't say that. He only says he wants to come and see me. Why
shouldn't he?"

"Because your father didn't wish it, and your uncle and I don't wish it."

"You don't like him."

"Do _you_?"

"I--love him."

"Nonsense. You don't know what you're talking about. You'd have forgotten
all about him if you hadn't seen that letter."

"I thought he'd forgotten me. You ought to have told me. It was cruel not
to tell me. He must have loved me all the time. He said I was to wait
three years and I didn't know what he meant. He must have loved me then