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"Fine," Clarence answered

"How was the Chase dinner, Bill?" pursued the cheerful visitor, unabashed.

"Oh, my God, no!" burst from the sufferer.

"No, I don't!" said Clarence, with unexpected vigor.

"Steer him off if you can. Preaching at me last night as if he'd never touched anything stronger than malted milk!"

"I just want to say this, Rachael," Clarence said

"I'm Billy's father, and I understand her, and she understands me. That's all that's necessary; do you get me?"

"If some of you damned jealous women who are always running around trying to make trouble would let her ALONE" he went on sulkily, "I'd be obliged to you -- that's all!"

"Ha! Better not!" said Clarence at white heat, one eye watchful over the top of the paper.

"There you go," said

"That's right -- ask the maids, and get all the servants talking; all come down on the heels of a poor little girl like a pack of yapping wolves! I suppose if she was plain and unattractive -- I should think you'd be ashamed," he went on, changing his high and querulous key to one of almost priestly authority and reproof, "Upon my word, it's beneath your dignity. My little girl comes to me, and she explains the whole matter. Pickering admires her -- she can't help that -- and she has an influence over him. She tells me he hasn't touched a thing but beer for six weeks, just because she asked him to give up heavy drinking. He told her the other day that if he had met her a few years ago, Lucy never would have left him. She's wakened the boy up, he's a different fellow -- "

"I don't care to discuss it, Rachael."

"It was before my father died; we were up in the old Maine place," he had said.

"Gosh, Bill was cute that day! We went on a drive -- no motor cars then -- and took our lunch, and after lunch the kid comes and settles herself in my arms -- for a nap, if you please! 'Say, look-a-here,' I said, 'what do you think I am -- a Pullman?' I wanted a smoke, by George! She wasn't two, you know. Her fat little legs were bare, we'd put her into socks, and her face was flushed, and she just looked up at me through her hair and said, 'Hing!' Well, it was good-bye smoke for me! I sang all right, and she cuddled down as pleased as a kitten, and off she went!"

"I just -- just thought I would -- look in," Clarence said

"Didn't want to miss anything. You all seem to be having -- having a pretty good time!"

"I can judge pretty well of what hurts me and what doesn't, thank you, Rachael," he said coldly, with a look ominous with warning.

"Where's Billy?" Clarence asked stubbornly.

"So that you can stay a little longer, eh?" said Clarence, in so ugly a tone and with so leering a look for his daughter that Rachael's heart for a moment failed her.

"That's a very nice little plan, my dear, but, as it happens, I came over in the runabout! I'm a fool, you know," said Clarence sullenly.

"I can be hoodwinked and deceived and made a fool of -- oh, sure! But there's a limit! There's a limit," he said in stupid anger to his wife. "And if I say that I don't like certain friendships for my daughter, it means that I DON'T LIKE CERTAIN FRIENDSHIPS FOR MY DAUGHTER, do you get me? That's clear enough, isn't it, Gertrude?"

"I'll take Billy home," Clarence said heavily.

"By George," said Clarence darkly to his hostess, "I'd be a long time doing that to you, Gertrude! If you had a daughter -- "

"Because I love you, you know that," he said meekly.

"I -- I may be TOO careful, Billy. But -- "

"When I say a thing, don't you say it's nonsense," Clarence said with heavy fatherly dignity.

"Might as well," was the man's enthusiastic contribution.

"Don't you?" her father said

"I'm glad to hear it," Clarence commented.

"Oh, yap -- yap -- yap! My God, I do get tired of hearing you two go on and on and on!" Clarence presently burst out angrily.

"If you don't want to go, Billy, say so. I'm sick of the whole thing, anyway!"

"For five cents," he said eagerly, "I'd wire Vera, and you and I'd beat it to Santa Barbara! What do you say?"

"Oh, Lord! make some objections!" Clarence growled.

"Gosh, how you do love to spoil things!" he said

"What for?" he asked unencouragingly.

"Thought you had some money," he grumbled

"What?" asked Clarence

"Well?" Clarence said

"You're not any more tired of it than I am!" Clarence interrupted sullenly.

"Don't talk as if I were opposing you," Clarence said with a weary frown.

"I've got my side in all this dissatisfied business, too," the man presently said with unsteady dignity.

"You never cared a damn for me, or what became of me! I've had you ding-donging your troubles at me day and night; it never occurs to you what I'm up against." He looked at his watch. "You want some money?" he asked.

"Well, I can write a check -- " he began.

"Nope," the man said impatiently.

"You can't tell me anything about that," he said