“Do you mean,” said she, calmly, “that I had no right to come here?”
“It 's just exactly what I mean; that if ye canna mak' friends for yoursel', ye ought not to turn away those whilk befriend your family.”
“But what was I to have done, then?” said she, gently. “There were circumstances that required--imperatively required me--to leave Lady Dorothea--”
“Let me hear them,” said he, breaking in, “It would lead me to speak of others than myself,--of events which are purely family matters,--were I to enter upon this theme. Besides,” said she, rising, “I am not, so far as I know, on my trial. There is not anything laid to my charge. I have no apologies to render.”
At this moment her stepmother appeared with a tray at the door, and seeing Henderson, endeavored to retire unobserved, but his quick eye had already detected her, and he cried out, “Come here,--ye canna do too much honor to a young leddy who has such a vara profound esteem for hersel'! Cake and wine! my faith! No but ye 'll deem it vara vulgar fare, after the dainties ye hae been used to! And yet, lassie, these are nae the habits here!”
“She has eaten nothing to-day!” meekly observed her stepmother.
“My fayther wad hae askit her hoo much has she earned the day?” said Henderson, severely.
“You are quite right, sir,” broke in Kate,--“I have earned nothing. Not just yet,” added she, as her stepmother pressed a glass of wine on her acceptance; “a little later, perhaps. I have no appetite now.”
“Are ye sae stupid, ma'am, that ye canna see ye are dealin' wi' a fine leddy, wha is no obleeged to hae the same mind twa minutes thegither? Ye 'll hae to train wee Janet to be a' ready for whate'er caprice is uppermost. But mine me, lassie,”--here he turned a look of stern meaning towards her,--“ye hae tried for mony a lang day to subdue _me_ to your whims and fancies, as they tell me ye hae done wi' sae mony others, and ye are just as far fra it noo as the first time ye tried it. Ye canna cheat nor cajole _me! I_ know ye!” And with these words, uttered in a tone of intense passion, he slowly walked out of the room.
“Had he been angry with you?--had anything occurred before I came in?” asked her stepmother.
“Very little,” sighed Kate, wearily. “He was asking me why I came here, I believe. I could scarcely tell him; perhaps I don't very well know, myself.”