"That's true. A quarrel between men which drags a woman's name into
notice is to be avoided at any cost. But sooner or later I must have
it out with Preston. He shall find it not so pleasant to have placed
my daughter in equivocal circumstances."
"He didn't place me. He didn't know I was coming, didn't expect to
meet me either time; and would far rather not have taken the letter I
gave him if he could have helped himself."
"It's all a mystery. I hate to have you mixed up in mysteries."
"I hate to be mixed up. But what can I do? I know of another mystery
which I'm pledged not to speak about. I cannot help myself."
"Well, all I can say is, never be the heroine of a mystery that you
can avoid, if you can't help being an accessory. Then, I suppose, I
must yield to your wishes and let this scandal wear itself out
without any notice from me?"
"What else can you do under the circumstances?"
"Ay; what else, indeed? How shall you bear it?"
For an instant the quick hot tears sprang into her eyes; to have
everybody--all her world, thinking evil of her, did seem hard to the
girl who had never thought or said an unkind thing of them. But she
smiled as she made answer,--
"It's like tooth-drawing, it will be over some time. It would be much
worse if I really had been doing wrong."
"Cynthia shall beware--" he began; but Molly put her hand before his
mouth.
"Papa, Cynthia must not be accused, or suspected; you will drive her
out of your house if you do, she is so proud, and so unprotected,
except by you. And Roger,--for Roger's sake, you will never do or say
anything to send Cynthia away, when he has trusted us all to take
care of her, and love her in his absence. Oh! I think if she were
really wicked, and I did not love her at all, I should feel bound to
watch over her, he loves her so dearly. And she is really good at
heart, and I do love her dearly. You must not vex or hurt Cynthia,
papa,--remember she is dependent upon you!"
"I think the world would get on tolerably well, if there were no
women in it. They plague the life out of one. You've made me forget,
amongst you--poor old Job Houghton that I ought to have gone to see
an hour ago."
Molly put up her mouth to be kissed. "You're not angry with me now,
papa, are you?"