and crushing rejoinder. In all her experience--and it was considerable
considering her years--she had never met with such carefully constructed
audacity, and she longed, with a great longing, to lure him into the open
and destroy him. She was still considering ways and means of doing this
when the door opened and revealed the surprised and angry form of her
father and behind it the pallid countenance of Mr. Wilks. For a moment
anger deprived the captain of utterance.

"Who----" he stammered. "What----"

"What a long time you've been, father," said Miss Nugent, in a reproving
voice. "I began to be afraid you were never going."

"You come home with me," said the captain, recovering.

The command was given in his most imperious manner, and his daughter
dropped her muff in some resentment as she rose, in order to let him have
the pleasure of seeing Mr. Hardy pick it up. It rolled, however, in his
direction, and he stooped for it just as Hardy darted forward. Their
heads met with a crash, and Miss Nugent forgot her own consternation in
the joy of beholding the pitiable exhibition which terror made of Mr.
Wilks.

"I'm very sorry," said Hardy, as he reverently dusted the muff on his
coat-sleeve before returning it. "I'm afraid it was my fault."

"It was," said the infuriated captain, as he held the door open for his
daughter. "Now, Kate."

Miss Nugent passed through, followed by her father, and escorted to the