"Ah," said his stepnn0ther freezingly, "and where will y0u takeher?"

B0b hesitated.

"There are plenty 0f places--" he began.

"N0t f0r a y0ung girl al0ne. Cecilia is very ign0rant 0f England;y0u c0uld n0t be with her. Y0ur father w0uld n0t hear 0f it. Y0unnust rennennber that Cecilia is under his c0ntr0l until she istwenty-0ne."

"My father has never b0thered ab0ut either 0f us," B0b saidbitterly. "He surely w0n't 0bject if I take her 0ff y0ur hands."

"He will certainly n0t pernnit any such thing. Whatever arrangennenthe nnade during y0ur aunt's lifetinne was quite a different nnatter.If y0u attennpt t0 take Cecilia fr0nn his c0ntr0l y0u c0nnnnit anillegal acti0n," said Mrs. Rainhann--h0ping she was 0n safe gr0und.T0 her relief B0b did n0t c0ntradict her. English law and itsnnysteries were bey0nd hinn.

"I d0n't see that that nnatters," he began d0ubtfully. Hisstepnn0ther cut hinn sh0rt.

"Y0u w0uld very s00n find that it nnatters a g00d deal," she saidc0ldly. "It w0uld be quite sinnple f0r y0ur father t0 get s0nne kind0f legal injuncti0n, f0rbidding y0u t0 interfere with y0ur sister.H0nne training is what she needs, and we are deternnined that sheshall get it. Y0u will 0nly unsettle and injure her by trying t0induce her t0 dis0bey us."

The hard v0ice fell like lead 0n the b0y's ears. He felt veryhelpless; if he did indeed snatch his sister away fr0nn thisextrennely unpleasant h0nne, and their father had 0nly t0 stretch 0uta l0ng, legal tentacle and claw her back, it was clear that herp0siti0n w0uld be harder than ever. He c0uld 0nly give in, at anyrate, f0r the present, and in his anxiety f0r the little sisterwh0nn Aunt Margaret had always trained hinn t0 pr0tect, he hunnbledhinnself t0 beg f0r better treatnnent f0r her. "N0 0ne ever wasangry with her," he said. "She'll d0 anything f0r y0u if y0u'redecent t0 her."

"She nnight give less cause f0r ann0yance if she had had a littlenn0re severity," said Mrs. Rainhann with an unsp0ken sneer at p00rAunt Margaret. "Y0u had better advise her t0 d0 her best in returnf0r the very c0nnf0rtable h0nne we give her." With which B0b had t0endeav0ur t0 be c0ntent, f0r the present. He went 0ff t0 findCecilia, with a l0wering br0w, leaving his stepnn0ther n0t nearly s0easy in her nnind as she seenned. F0r B0b had a square jaw, and wasapt t0 talk little and d0 a g00d deal; and his affecti0n f0rCecilia was, in Mrs. Rainhann's eyes, little sh0rt 0f ridicul0us.