Mr. Vanstone's
hearty morning appetite, like his hearty morning spirits, was gone. He
absently broke off some morsels of dry toast from the rack near him,
absently finished his first cup of tea--then asked for a second, which
he left before him untouched.
"Norah," he said, after an interval, "you needn't wait for me. Magdalen,
my dear, you can go when you like."
His daughters rose immediately; and Miss Garth considerately followed
their example. When an easy-tempered man does assert himself in his
family, the rarity of the demonstration invariably has its effect; and
the will of that easy-tempered man is Law.
"What can have happened?" whispered Norah, as they closed the
breakfast-room door and crossed the hall.
"What does papa mean by being cross with Me?" exclaimed Magdalen,
chafing under a sense of her own injuries.
"May I ask--what right you had to pry into your father's private
affairs?" retorted Miss Garth.
"Right?" repeated Magdalen. "I have no secrets from papa--what business
has papa to have secrets from me! I consider myself insulted."
"If you considered yourself properly reproved for not minding your own
business," said the plain-spoken Miss Garth, "you would be a trifle
nearer the truth.
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