, 1899-06-09
CHAPTER XIII.

quantities 10 IL, apd had TO THROW the
whole mess away. His brows are con-
tracted, and every now and then he pushes
his glasses up to his forehead and rubs
his eyes in a puzzled and perplexed man
ner, as though he would make his mental
sight clearer.
He is engaged in this way when Ga
brielle pushes the door open, and, finding
her father alone, walks boldly into the
surgery.
"You there, my bird?" says the doctor,
peering at her above his spectacles; why
are you not off to your convent? 1t is
past nine"
eyes, papa; l know, but / waited to see
you; / thought you might be coming up
stairs again, papa; l wanted to ask you
something very Notwithstanding
about August
Gabrielle, did Angus Moray accom-
pany you home from the convent yes
terday?'
"He did, papar"
swell, you must discontinue the prac-
tice. You must not walk with Angus
any more from to-day. Do you under
stand me?"
"Yes, papa! only-if-if0
eff what? l cannot nave my daughtei
talked about because she walks out with
a young man who is no relation to her"
"Felicite Duprez walks out with Ernest
Haure whenever she feels inclined" says
Gabrielle, in a low voice.
'They are fiancees. That makes all the
difference"
But if-if-" falters poor Gabrielle
again, "if l were iancee to Angus,
papa"
Gabrielle" says DIR. de Blois, walking
- l. IL ii IL - H. -. -4ros-b4 -
the eyes. "You will never be iancee TO
Angus Moray! You must understand that
plainly. l have let you see a great deal
of one another because you have played
together from childhood, but now that
you are growing up it must be altered. l
will not nave your name linked with his.
I have other views in the future for you."
Every good, papa!' says the poor child,
sorrowfully, as she turns away and COM
mences her walk to the convent.
Meanwhile Angus is walking with-
jaunty, not to say confident air, in the d-
@ection of the Doctors dwelling.
room as Angus laps ilghtly at the half
opened door with his cane, and then,
without further preamble, steps into the
room. The young man, as he stands
there with his handsome features flush
ed by excitement, in a light gray suit
almost bridal in his dandyism-and a
rose in his b%uttonhole, makes so pleas
ant a picture that the doctor forgets for
a moment what he has to say to him, and
recalls it with a bitter sigh.
MAY / come in, doctor? You are alone,
I see."
Certainly, August You are early this
morning, my b~oy-anything unusual going
on at the Office?
"No! everything concerned with it goes
as smoothly as possible, thanks to the
character the good able was pleased to
give me. You nave heard, have you not,
that | have been selected to lay the new
line of railway between this and the Wal
lon? 1t is an excellent appointment, and
will bring me in nearly double pa during
the period it will occupy. DR.. de Blois,"
impetuously continues Angus, do not
think me presumptuous; but will you,
who have in your hands the choice of Ga
brielle's husband, choose me to fill that po-
sition? She is not too young to love me
for she has told me So"
The doctor tries to affect surprise at
this appeal, but s~ignally fails to do SO.
He is no actor, so he only knits his brows
fiercely together and says:
"You have mentioned the subject, then,
TO my daughter"
"Forgive mel l could not help it."
ANGUS says the doctor slowly, 81
cannot give you my daughter"
.You will not give me Gabrielle" cries
Angus Moray, in real distress.
At cannot! There are reasons, many
and grave, which render such a marriage
impossible"
ssHas it anything to do with my in
Gomez !.
Nothing whatever! 1 never coveted
riches for my child" e
"Is it my character, thenf"
mo. Angus. No one has a word to say
against that in Bruges, or elsewhere"
'What is the mystery, then? l am
Young. active and healthy, and love her
like my life"
"Poor boy! poor childrenr says the
doctor, wiping away something very like
a tear, 81 feel for you both deeply. But
| will never give you Gabrielle. l will
shut her up in a convent first"
"At least you might tell me on what
score l am condemned"
ASK your mother."
"Does she knowY
"She ought to. If not, she cannot fail
to guess. Angus, my dear boy, do not
blame me too much for this. l am shock
ed, grieved and upset by it all. If, with
a clear conscience toward myself, and
others, l could give you my daughter, l
would do so gladly. There is no one /
would sooner embrace as a son than your
self. But l owe a duty to my family,
and to the sainted dead, which"
Enough, DIR. de Bloisp say the young
man, Strengthening himself to his full
height. II understand your ~insinuation,
though l have no notion of the cause of
it. / and my mother have been consid-
cred good enough for you to associate
with and make use of when it suited
your convenience to do so; but when 1t
comes to a question of uniting the fami-
lies by marriage, you profess to think us
beneath yourselves, because, l presume,