CHAPTER XXII

BONNIE PROVES CONTUMACIOUS

"Letting, I dare not wait upon I would,

Like the poor cat i' the adage."

Macbeth.

"I do perceive here a divided duty."

Othello

A QUARTER of an hour later Mr. Redford entered the room. Eden looked up at him without speaking, as he stood before her; then, as he saw her pained expression, he quietly sat down beside her.

"You had better tell me all about it," he said quietly, "and then we can take counsel together; and he made no further remark until she had finished her account.

"And it is all my fault" she exclaimed sadly, "for of course I ought not to have left my post; but I believed that I was acting for the best;" and there were tears in Eden's eyes as she said this.

"It was an error of judgment," he returned; but there was no reproach in his voice. "It would have been wiser if you had stayed with the child, but you must not blame yourself too severely. How were you to suspect such subtlety and deceit ?"

"No, I could not guess that; but Mr. Redford, I have failed so utterly with Bonnie-I have simply no influence with her. She was angry with me because I had sent that telegram, and she left the house without my knowledge." Then a stern look came to Mr. Redford's face, and he paced the room some time without speaking. Presently he sat down again.

"There is nothing to be done," he said decidedly. "If you knew the address, I would go myself and bring her away; but now we must wait until she chooses to return."

"I am afraid so," returned Eden sadly; "besides which, they are driving now. Bonnie knows that you are expected, so she will not dare to stay long." But Eden was wrong in her surmise, for they had finished luncheon, and still Bonnie had not returned.

When the meal was over Mr. Redford went

out, and Eden could see him pacing up and down the parade. Her heart misgave her as she watched him; he had said little, and there had been no word of blame for her mistake; but she could see that he was bitterly hurt and angry, and she trembled for Bonnie.

When it grew dusk he came in and sat down by the fire. Eden rang for tea; then she stood near him for a moment.

"Mr. Redford," she said, rather timidly, "Bonnie is acting very wrongly, and she is treating you badly; but I am sure her mother is to blame for this long delay. and she is easily led away. angry with her."

Bonnie is impulsive, Please do not be too

"It is very good of you to plead for her," he returned coldly, "but Bonnie has to answer to me for this; she has been both disloyal and disobedient. I could forgive the disobedience better than the disloyalty;" and Eden sighed, for she saw that that Bonnie's thoughtless conduct had wounded him severely.

Half an hour later they heard Bonnie running up the stairs. She came into the room quickly; her face was flushed, and again Eden noticed that

she had been crying; but she tried to appear at

her ease.

"So you have got back, Uncle Alick,” she began, and she would have come up to him and kissed him as usual, but he put her from him. Then Bonnie bit her lip and frowned.

"I hope you are not going to be nasty with me, Uncle Alick," she said crossly. "Eden has been nearly worrying me out of my life this morning. I have done nothing wrong. I have a right to go to my own mother; and even you, Uncle Alick, shall not prevent my doing my duty. She is ill, and she wants me, and I am her only child."

Bonnie's eyes were quite fierce as she said this; she was angry at finding herself in the position of a culprit ; never before had Uncle Alick refused

to kiss her.

"Bonnie," returned her uncle sternly, "you, have to listen to me, please. You have lived with me for eleven years—in all those years you have been treated as my own child. Have you ever had an angry look or word from me?"

Bonnie's lip quivered, and she shook her head. "Eleven or twelve years ago your mother gave