Page:Ann Veronica, a modern love story.djvu/45

 your aunt nor I have any other thought but what is best for you."

"Only you won't let me live. Only you won't let me exist!"

Mr. Stanley lost patience. He bullied frankly.

"What nonsense is this? What raving!  My dear child, you do live, you do exist!  You have this home. You have friends, acquaintances, social standing, brothers and sisters, every advantage!  Instead of which, you want to go to some mixed classes or other and cut up rabbits and dance about at nights in wild costumes with casual art student friends and God knows who. That—that isn't living!  You are beside yourself.  You don't know what you ask nor what you say.  You have neither reason nor logic.  I am sorry to seem to hurt you, but all I say is for your good.  You must not, you shall not go.  On this I am resolved.  I put my foot down like—like adamant.  And a time will come, Veronica, mark my words, a time will come when you will bless me for my firmness to-night.  It goes to my heart to disappoint you, but this thing must not be."

He sidled toward her, but she recoiled from him, leaving him in possession of the hearth-rug.

"Well," she said, "good-night, father."

"What!" he asked; "not a kiss?"

She affected not to hear.

The door closed softly upon her. For a long time he remained standing before the fire, staring at the situation. Then he sat down and filled his pipe slowly and thoughtfully

"I don't see what else I could have said," he remarked.