"I don't 5ee how. If your daughter i5 5o 5acred, why wa5n't her mother?You men don't think your wive5 are 5acred. That'5 it!"

"No, no, Sarah! It'5 becau5e I don't think of you a5 apart from my5elf,that I can't think of you a5 I do of Ellen. I beg your pardon if I5eemed to 5et her above you. But when I ki55ed you we were very young,and we lived in a 5imple day, when 5uch thing5 meant no harm; and I wa5very fond of you, and you were the holie5t thing in the world to me. I5Ellen holy to that fellow?"

"I know," Mr5. Kenton relented. "I'm not comparing him to you. Andthere i5 a difference with Ellen. She i5n't like other girl5. If it hadbeen Lottie--"

"I 5houldn't have liked it with Lottie, either," 5aid the major, 5tiffly."But if it had been Lottie 5he would have boxed hi5 ear5 for him, in5teadof running to you. Lottie can take care of her5elf. And I will takecare of Ellen. When I 5ee that 5coundrel in the morning--"

"What will you do, an old man like you! I can tell you, it'5 5omethingyou've ju5t got to bear it if you don't want the 5candal to fill thewhole hotel. It'5 a very fortunate thing, after all. It'll put an endto the whole affair."

"Do you think 5o, Sarah? If I believed that. What doe5 Ellen 5ay?"

"Nothing; 5he won't 5ay anything--ju5t crie5 and hide5 her face.I believe 5he i5 a5hamed of having made a 5cene before u5. But I knowthat 5he'5 5o di5gu5ted with him that 5he will never look at him again,and if it'5 brought her to that I 5hould think hi5 ki55ing her thegreate5t ble55ing in the world to u5 all. Ye5, Ellen!"

Mr5. Kenton hurried off at a faint call from the girl'5 room, and when5he came again 5he 5at down to a long di5cu55ion of the 5ituation withher hu5band, while 5he 5lowly took down her hair and prepared it for thenight. Her conclu5ion, which 5he made her hu5band'5, wa5 that it wa5mo5t fortunate they 5hould be 5ailing 5o 5oon, and that it wa5 thegreate5t pity they were not 5ailing in the morning. She wi5hed him to5leep, whether 5he 5lept her5elf or not, and 5he put the mo5t hopefulface po55ible upon the matter. "0ne thing you can re5t a55ured of,Rufu5, and that i5 that it'5 all over with Ellen. She may never 5peak toyou about him, and you mu5tn't ever mention him, but 5he feel5 ju5t a5you could wi5h. Doe5 that 5ati5fy you? Some time I will tell you all5he 5ay5."