‘A girl alters a deal between fifteen and seventeen,’ Sidney replied, forcing himself to speak with an air of calmness, of impartiality.  ’She wasn’t old enough to know her own mind.  I’m tired of plaguing her.  I feel ashamed to say another word to her, and that’s the truth.  She only gets more and more set against me.  If it’s ever to come right, it’ll have to be by waiting; we won’t talk about that any more.  Think of her quite apart from me, and what I’ve been hoping.  She’s seventeen years old.  You can’t deal with a girl of that age like you can with Amy and Annie.  You’ll have to trust her, Mr. Hewett.  You’ll have to, because there’s no help for it.  We’re working people, we are; we’re the lower orders; our girls have to go out and get their livings.  We teach them the best we can, and the devil knows they’ve got examples enough of misery and ruin before their eyes to help them to keep straight.  Rich people can take care of their daughters as much as they like; they can treat them like children till they’re married; people of our kind can’t do that, and it has to be faced.’

John sat with dark brow, his eyes staring on vacancy.

‘It’s right what Sidney says, father,’ put in Mrs. Hewett; ’we can’t help it.’

‘You may perhaps have done harm when you meant only to do good,’ pursued Sidney.  ’Always being so anxious, and showing what account you make of her, perhaps you’ve led her to think a little too much of herself.  She knows other fathers don’t go on in that way.  And now she wants more freedom, she feels it worse than other girls do when you begin to deny her.  Talk to her in a different way; talk as if you trusted her.  Depend upon it, it’s the only hold you have upon her.  Don’t be so much afraid.  Clara has her faults—­see them as well as any one—­but I’ll never believe she’d darken your life of her own free will.’

There was an unevenness, a jerky vehemence, in his voice, which told how difficult it was for him to take this side in argument.  He often hesitated, obviously seeking phrases which should do least injury to the father’s feelings.  The expression of pain on his forehead and about his lips testified to the sincerity with which he urged his views, at the same time to a lurking fear lest impulse should be misleading him.  Hewett kept silence, in aspect as far as ever from yielding.  Of a sudden he raised his hand, and said, ‘Husht!’ There was a familiar step on the stairs.  Then the door opened and admitted Clara.

The girl could not but be aware that the conversation she interrupted had reference to herself.  Her father gazed fixedly at her; Sidney glanced towards her with self-consciousness, and at once averted his eyes; Mrs. Hewett examined her with apprehension.  Having carelessly closed the door with a push, she placed her umbrella in the corner and began to unbutton her gloves.  Her attitude was one of affected unconcern; she held her head stiffly, and let her eyes wander to the farther end of the room.  The expression of her face was cold, preoccupied; she bit her lower lip so that the under part of it protruded.