Miss Nugent reflected. "I said it was a fine evening," she replied, at
last.

"No doubt," said her father. "What else?"

"I think I asked him whether he was fond of gardening," said Miss Nugent,
slowly. "Yes, I'm sure I did."

"You had no business to speak to him at all," said the fuming captain.

"I don't quite see how I could help doing so," said his daughter. "You
surely don't expect me to be rude to your visitors? Besides, I feel
rather sorry for him."

"Sorry?" repeated the captain, sharply. "What for?"

"Because he hasn't got a nice, kind, soft-spoken father," said Miss
Nugent, squeezing his arm affectionately.

The appearance of the other couple at the head of the path saved the
captain the necessity of a retort. They stood in a little knot talking,
but Miss Nugent, contrary to her usual habit, said but little. She was
holding her father's arm and gazing absently at the dim fields stretching
away beyond the garden.

At the same time Mr. James Hardy, feeling, despite his bold front,
somewhat badly snubbed, was sitting on the beach thinking over the
situation. After a quarter of an hour in the company of Kate Nugent all
else seemed sordid and prosaic; his own conduct in his attempt to save
her brother from the consequences of his folly most sordid of all. He