The practical confirmation
of Sidney's warning that he must no longer hope to control Clara
like a child stung him too poignantly; he obeyed an unreasoning
impulse to recover his authority by force.
The girl's look entered his heart like a stab; she had never faced
him like this before, saying more plainly than with words that she
defied him to control her. His child's face, the face he loved best
of all! yet at this moment he was searching it vainly for the
lineaments that were familiar to him. Something had changed her, had
hardened her against him, in a moment. It seemed impossible that
there should come such severance between them. John revolted against
it, as against all the other natural laws that visited him harshly.
'What's come to you, my girl?' he said in a thick voice. 'What's
wrong between us, Clara? Haven't I always done my best for you? If I
was the worst enemy you had, you couldn't look at me crueller.'
'I think it's me that should ask what's come to _you_, father,' she
returned with her former self-possession. 'You treat me as if I was
a baby. I want to know what you're going to say about Mrs. Tubbs. I
suppose mother's told you what she offers me?'
Sidney had not resumed his chair.
Pages:
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73