he shouldn't "make so tremendous a fuss," he thought; and, with a sigh
to the memory of the lost Golden Hair, he turned abruptly to his mother,
and as if she had all the while been cognizant of his thoughts, said:

"But that's nothing to do with the case in question. Will you be kind to
Adah Hastings, for my sake? And when Ad rides her highest horse, as she
is sure to do, will you smooth her down? Tell her Adah has as good a
right here as she, if I choose to keep her."

"I never meddle with your affairs," and there was a tone of whining
complaint in Mrs. Worthington's voice; "I never pry and you never tell,
so I don't know how much you are worth, but I can judge somewhat, and I
don't think you are able."

Mrs. Worthington was much more easily won over to Hugh's opinion than
'Lina. They'd be a county talk, she said; nobody would come near them;
hadn't Hugh enough on his hands already without taking more?

"If my considerate sister really thinks so, hadn't she better try and
help herself a little?" retorted Hugh in a blaze of anger.

'Lina began to cry, and Hugh, repenting of his harsh speech as soon as
it was uttered, but far too proud to take it back, strode up and down
the room, chafing like a young lion.

"Come children, it's after midnight, let us adjourn until to-morrow,"
Mrs. Worthington said, by way of ending the painful interview, at the
same time handing a candle to Hugh, who took it silently and withdrew,
banging the door behind him with a force which made 'Lina start and
burst into a fresh flood of tears.