“Please be reasonable, Hallie.  Miss Garrison was only here a few minutes.  And as I knew noises on the veranda had disturbed you I tried to speak in a low tone.  We were speaking of Blackford.”

“Well, I’d like you to know that I employed that girl to remedy your mistakes in trying to educate Blackford, and if she has any report to make she can make it to me.”

“Very well, then.  It was only a few days ago that you told me you had done all you were going to do about Blackford; you gave me to understand that you washed your hands of him.  You’re nervous and excited,—­very unnecessarily excited,—­and I insist that you go back to bed.  I’ll call Miss Featherstone.”

“Miss Featherstone is asleep and you needn’t bother her.  I’m going to send her away at the end of her week anyhow.  She’s the worst masseuse I ever had; her clumsiness simply drives me frantic.  But I never thought you would treat me like this—­entertaining a young woman on the veranda when you thought I was asleep and out of the way.  I’m astonished at Miss Garrison; I had a better opinion of her.  I thought she knew her place.  I thought she understood that I employed her out of kindness; and she’s abused my confidence outrageously.”

“You can’t speak that way of that young woman; she’s been very good to you.  She’s come to see you nearly every day and shown you many kindnesses.  It is kind of her to be tutoring Blackford at all when she came to the lake for rest.”

“For rest!”

She gulped at the enormity of this; it was beyond belief that any intelligent being could have been deceived in a matter that was as plain as daylight to any understanding.  “You think she came here for rest!  Don’t you know that she’s hung herself around Aunt Sally’s neck, and that she’s filling Aunt Sally’s head with all manner of wild ideas?  She’s been after Aunt Sally’s money ever since she saw that she could influence her.  Did you ever know of Aunt Sally’s taking up any other girl?  Has she ever traveled over the country with Marian or shown any such interest in her own flesh and blood?”

“Please quiet yourself.  You’ll have Blackford and the nurse down here in a minute.  You know perfectly well that Aunt Sally started Elizabeth House long before she had ever heard of this girl, and you know that your aunt is a vigorous, independent woman who is not led around by anybody.”

Her nostrils quivered and her eyes shone with tears.  She leveled her arm at him rigidly.

“I saw you walking with that girl yesterday!  When she left here at noon you came down from the den and walked along to Aunt Sally’s gate with her.  I could see you through the trees from my bed, laughing and talking with her.  I suppose it was then you arranged for her to come and sit with you on the veranda when you thought I was asleep!”

He took a step toward her and seized the outstretched hand roughly.