"The scoundrel! Yes! So not a farthing of costs and damages shall
we see! It is the most fiendish thing ever heard of!"

"Will the costs be very heavy?"

"Heavy! I should think they would indeed!" He named the probable
sum; it seemed a fearful addition to the already existing burden of
debts.

A look of such pain and perplexity came over Erica's face that
Raeburn for the first time realizing what was passing in the room,
drew her toward him, his face softening, and the cold, angry light
in his eyes changing to sadness.

"Never mind, my child," he said, with a sigh. "'Tis a hard blow,
but we must bear up. Injustice won't triumph in the end."

There was something in his voice and look which made Erica feel
dreadfully inclined to cry; but that would have disgraced her
forever in the eyes of stoical Tom, so she only squeezed his hand
hard and tried to think of that far-distant future of which she had
spoken to Charles Osmond, when there would be no tiresome
Christians and bigots and lawsuits.

There was, however, one person in the house who was invariably the
recipient of all the troubled confidences of others. In a very few
minutes Erica had left the study and was curled up beside her
mother's couch, talking out unreservedly all her grief, and anger,
and perplexity.