CHAPTER XXVIII 

FIRE AND HAIL 

On the morning after her return from Winnipeg, Beatrice sat in her father's study, with Mowbray facing her across the table. He looked thoughtful, but not so shocked and indignant as she had expected. 

"So you are determined to throw Harding over!" 

"Yes," Beatrice said in a strained voice. "It seems impossible to do anything else." 

"A broken engagement's a serious matter; we Mowbrays keep our word. I hope you're quite sure of your ground." 

"What I heard left no room for doubt." 

"Did you hear the man's defense?" 

"I refused to listen," said Beatrice coldly. "That he should try to excuse himself only made it worse." 

"I'm not sure that's very logical. I'll confess that Harding and I seldom agree, but one must be fair." 

"Does that mean that one ought to be lenient?" Beatrice asked with an angry sparkle in her eyes. 

Mowbray was conscious of some embarrassment. His ideas upon the subject were not sharply defined, but if it had not been his daughter who questioned him he could have expressed them better. Beatrice ought to have left her parents to deal with a delicate matter like this, but instead she had boldly taken it into her own hands. He had tried to bring up his children well, but the becoming modesty which characterized young women in his youth had gone. 

"No," he answered; "not exactly lenient. But the thing may not be so bad as you think--and one must make allowances. Then, a broken engagement reflects upon both parties. Even if one of them has an unquestionable grievance, it proves that that person acted very rashly in making a promise in the first instance." 
with woh?
Harding 