"What do you think I'm made of? No woman who cared for a man could give
him up for a thing like that."

"There are other things. Complications.... I think I'd better write to
your mother. Or your brother."

"Write to them--write to them. They won't care a rap about your business.
We're not like that, Maurice."


XI.

"You'd better let me see what he says, Mamma."

Her mother had called to her to come into the study. She had Maurice
Jourdain's letter in her hand. She looked sad and at the same time happy.

"My darling, he doesn't want you to see it."

"Is it as bad as all that?"

"Yes. If I'd had my way you should never have had anything to do with
him. I'd have forbidden him the house if your Uncle Victor hadn't said
that was the way to make you mad about him. He seemed to think that
seeing him would cure you. And so it ought to have done....

"He says you know he wants to break off the engagement, but he doesn't
think he has made you understand why."