At last the oracle spoke: "Mr.Hope has been deceiving me with some good intention.

He pretends to be subservient to papa, but he is the master.

How he comes to be master I don't know, but so it is, Walter.

If it came to a battle royal, Mr.Hope would side, not with papa, but with me." "That's important, if true," said Walter, dryly.
"It's true," said Mary, "and it's important." Then she turned suddenly round on him.

"How did you feel when you ran into that workshop, and we both crouched, and hid like criminals or slaves ?" "Well," said Walter, hanging his head, "to tell the truth, I took a comic view of the business." "I can't do that," said Mary.