She went upstairs, and taking off her hat, smoothed her soft dark hair.  She did not want Lily to see how she had worried; she eyed herself carefully for lines.  Then she went down, to more waiting, and for the first time, to a little doubt.

Yet when Lily came all was as it should have been.  There was no doubt about her close embrace of her mother, her happiness at seeing her.  She did not remove her gloves, however, and after she had put Grace in a chair and perched herself on the arm of it, there was a little pause.  Each was preparing to tell something, each hesitated.  Because Grace’s task was the easier it was she who spoke first.

“I was about to start over when you telephoned, dear,” she said.  “I—­we want you to come home to us again.”

There was a queer, strained silence.

“Who wants me?” Lily asked, unsteadily.

“All of us.  Your grandfather, too.  He expects to find you here to-night.  I can explain to your Aunt Elinor over the telephone, and we can send for your clothes.”

Suddenly Lily got up and walked the length of the room.  When she came back her eyes were filled with tears, and her left hand was bare.

“It nearly kills me to hurt you,” she said, “but—­what about this?”

She held out her hand.

Grace seemed frozen in her chair.  At the sight of her mother’s face Lily flung herself on her knees beside the chair.

“Mother, mother,” she said, “you must know how I love you.  Love you both.  Don’t look like that.  I can’t bear it.”

Grace turned away her face.

“You don’t love us.  You can’t.  Not if you are going to marry that man.”

“Mother,” Lily begged, desperately, “let me come home.  Let me bring him here.  I’ll wait, if you’ll only do that.  He is different; I know all that you want to say about his past.  He has never had a real chance in all his life.  He won’t belong at first, but—­he’s a man, mother, a strong man.  And it’s awfully important.  He can do so much, if he only will.  And he says he will, if I marry him.”

“I don’t understand you,” Grace said coldly.  “What can a man like that do, but wreck all our lives?”

Resentment was rising fast in Lily, but she kept it down.  “I’ll tell you about that later,” she said, and slowly got to her feet.  “Is that all, mother?  You won’t see him?  I can’t bring him here?  Isn’t there any compromise?  Won’t you meet me half-way?”

“When you say half-way, you mean all the way, Lily.”

“I wanted you so,” Lily said, drearily, “I need you so just now.  I am going to be married, and I have no one to go to.  Aunt Elinor doesn’t understand, either.  Every way I look I find—­I suppose I can’t come back at all, then.”

“Your grandfather’s condition was that you never see this Louis Akers again.”