He was getting weary of the discussion, and wished it had never been begun.  From the time he had become conscious of his mother’s presence he had felt the dilemma he was in, in regard to Ruth, and various plans had directly crossed his brain; but it had been so troublesome to weigh and consider them all properly, that they had been put aside to be settled when he grew stronger.  But this difficulty in which he was placed by his connection with Ruth, associated the idea of her in his mind with annoyance and angry regret at the whole affair.  He wished, in the languid way in which he wished and felt everything not immediately relating to his daily comfort, that he had never seen her.  It was a most awkward, a most unfortunate affair.  Notwithstanding this annoyance connected with and arising out of Ruth, he would not submit to hear her abused; and something in his manner impressed this on his mother, for she immediately changed her mode of attack.

“We may as well drop all dispute as to the young woman’s manners; but I suppose you do not mean to defend your connection with her; I suppose you are not so lost to all sense of propriety as to imagine it fit or desirable that your mother and this degraded girl should remain under the same roof, liable to meet at any hour of the day?” She waited for an answer, but no answer came.

“I ask you a simple question; is it, or is it not, desirable?”

“I suppose it is not,” he replied gloomily.

“And I suppose, from your manner, that you think the difficulty would be best solved by my taking my departure, and leaving you with your vicious companion?” Again no answer, but inward and increasing annoyance, of which Mr. Bellingham considered Ruth the cause.  At length he spoke—­

“Mother, you are not helping me in my difficulty.  I have no desire to banish you, nor to hurt you, after all your care for me.  Ruth has not been so much to blame as you imagine, that I must say; but I do not wish to see her again, if you can tell me how to arrange it otherwise, without behaving unhandsomely.  Only spare me all this worry a while, I am so weak.  I put myself in your hands.  Dismiss her, as you wish it; but let it be done handsomely, and let me hear no more about it; I cannot bear it; let me have a quiet life, without being lectured, while I am pent up here, and unable to shake off unpleasant thoughts.”

“My dear Henry, rely upon me.”

“No more, mother; it’s a bad business, and I can hardly avoid blaming myself in the matter.  I don’t want to dwell upon it.”

“Don’t be too severe in your self-reproaches while you are so feeble, dear Henry; it is right to repent, but I have no doubt in my own mind she led you wrong with her artifices.  But, as you say, everything should be done handsomely.  I confess I was deeply grieved when I first heard of the affair, but since I have seen the girl——­Well!  I’ll say no more about her, since I see it displeases you; but I am thankful to God that you see the error of your ways.  She sat silent, thinking for a little while, and then sent for her writing-case and began to write.  Her son became restless, and nervously irritated.