The counsel, the judge--all
gentlemen--quite out of it! No notion of . . . And then he's a sailor
too. Just a skipper--"
"My grandfather was nothing else," she interrupted. And he made an
angular gesture of impatience.
"Yes. But what does a silly sailor know of business? Nothing. No
conception. He can have no idea of what it means to be the daughter of
Mr. de Barral--even after his enemies had smashed him. What on earth
induced him--"
She made a movement because the level voice was getting on her nerves.
And he paused, but only to go on again in the same tone with the remark:
"Of course you are pretty. And that's why you are lost--like many other
poor girls. Unfortunate is the word for you."
She said: "It may be. Perhaps it is the right word; but listen, papa. I
mean to be honest."
He began to exhale more speeches.
"Just the sort of man to get tired and then leave you and go off with his
beastly ship. And anyway you can never be happy with him. Look at his
face. I want to save you. You see I was not perhaps a very good husband
to your poor mother.
Pages:
567
568
569
570
571
572
573
574
575
576
577
578
579
580
581
582
583
584
585
586
587
588
589
590
591