Finally, an account had to be opened on which cheques could be drawn signed by one of the trustees and Mr.Knight.
This proviso made the latter even more indignant than before, especially as it was accompanied by an intimation that the trustees would require his son's consent, either by letter or in a personal interview, to any arrangements as to his career, etc., which involved expenditure of the trust moneys.

When a somewhat rude and lengthy letter to them to that effect was met with a curt acknowledgment of its receipt and a reference to their previous decision, Mr.Knight's annoyance hardened into a permanent grievance against his son, whom he seemed to hold responsible for what he called an "affront" to himself.
He was a man with large ideas of paternal rights, of which an example may be given that was not without its effect upon the vital interests of others.
When Isobel returned from London, after the fancy-dress ball, at which she thought she had seen a ghost whilst sitting in the square with her young admirer who was dressed as a knight, she waited for a long while expecting to receive a letter from Godfrey.

As none came, although she knew from Mrs.Parsons that he had written home several times, she began to wonder as to the cause of his silence.

Then an idea occurred to her.
Supposing that what she had seen was no fancy of her mind, but Godfrey himself, who in some mysterious fashion had found his way into that square, perhaps in the hope of seeing her at the ball in order to say goodbye?
This was possible, since she had ascertained from some casual remark by his father that he did not leave London until the following morning.
If this had happened, if he had seen her "playing the fool," as she expressed it to herself with that good-looking man in the square, what would he have thought of her?
She never paused to remember that he had no right to think anything.

Somehow from childhood she acknowledged in her heart that he had every right, though when she said this to herself, she did not in the least understand all that the admission conveyed.