When my feet are better I shall have to be away in the boats a great deal, but until then I can be nurse in chief, and so free Mrs.Burton's hands for her other work," he said, gripping the needs of the situation as plainly as if he had known them all for months instead of hours.
"I had meant to stay with Father to-night," said Katherine, flushing a little, and not feeling quite certain whether she entirely approved of having matters taken out of her hands in this fashion.
"That would not do at all.

You will have to be business head of the establishment now for a permanency, and the sooner you get your shoulders fitted to the burden the better," he said decidedly.
"But I have practically been the business head all the winter, so the burden is familiar already," she protested, with a wan smile and a sinking at her heart, for she did not like business, and always shrank from the bother of bargaining, which afforded such keen zest to some people's buying and selling.
"That was quite different from what lies before you now," he replied.

"You may have had the work to do, but you had always your father's judgment to rely upon.

In future you will have to stand alone and judge for yourself." Katherine bowed her head in token that she understood, then turned away too crushed to utter a word.

Jervis Ferrars went back to the sickroom, wincing at the pain he had been compelled to inflict as if the blow had fallen on himself.