"Oh, heaven! shall this wrong be permitted?" ejaculated Marah.
"Mrs. Rocke, I will not go unless absolutely forced to do so by a
decree of the court. I shall get Doctor Williams to make an appeal for
me to the Orphans' Court," said Clara, by way of encouraging her
friend.
"My dear Miss Day, that, I hope, will not be required. Colonel Le Noir
acts under a misapprehension of the circumstances. We must enter into
more explanations with him. In the mean time, my dear young lady, it is
better that you should obey him for the present, at least so far as
retiring from the room," said Doctor Williams.
Clara immediately rose and, requesting Mrs. Rocke to accompany her,
withdrew from the library.
Doctor Williams then said: "I advised the retirement of the young lady, having a communication to
make the hearing of which in a mixed company might have cost her an
innocent blush. But first I would ask you, Colonel Le Noir, what are
those circumstances to which you allude which render Miss Day's
residence here, in her patrimonial mansion, with her old and faithful
friends, so improper?" inquired Doctor Williams, courteously.
"The growing intimacy, sir, between herself and a very objectionable
party--this young man Rocke!" replied Colonel Le Noir.
"Ah! and is that all?"
"It is enough, sir," said Colonel Le Noir, loftily.
"Then suppose I should inform you, sir, that this young man, Doctor
Rocke, was brought up and educated at Doctor Day's cost and under his
own immediate eye?"
"Then, sir, you would only inform me that an eccentric gentleman of
fortune had done--what eccentric gentlemen of fortune will sometimes
do--educated a pauper."
At this opprobrious epithet Traverse, with a flushed face, started to
his feet.
"Sit down, my boy, sit down; leave me to deal with this man," said
Doctor Williams, forcing Traverse back into his seat. Then, turning to
Colonel Le Noir, he said: "But suppose, sir, that such was the estimation in which Doctor Day
held the moral and intellectual worth of his young protégé that he
actually gave him his daughter?"
"I cannot suppose an impossibility, Doctor Williams," replied Colonel
Le Noir, haughtily.
"Then, sir, I have the pleasure of startling you a little by a prodigy
that you denominate an impossibility! Clara Day and Traverse Rocke were
betrothed with full knowledge and cordial approbation of the young
lady's father."
"Impossible! preposterous! I shall countenance no such ridiculous
absurdity!" said Colonel Le Noir, growing red in the face.