Though the idea of parent must be venerated, a parent is not God. We must leave father and mother and all for God—that is, for what is right, which is his very will—only let us be sure it is for God, and not for self. If the parent has been the parent of good thoughts and right judgments in the child, those good thoughts and right judgments will be on the parent’s side. If he has been the parent of evil thoughts and false judgments, they may be for him or against him, but in the end they will work for division. Any general decay of filial affection must originate with the parents.

“I am not a child, I am a woman,” said Barbara. “And I owe it to him who made me a woman to take care of myself.”

“Mind what you say. I have rights, and will enforce them.”

“Over my person?” returned Barbara, her eyes sending out a flash that reminded him of her mother, and made him angrier than ever.

“If you do not consent here and now,” he said sternly, “to marry Mr. Lestrange—that is, if, after your mother’s insolence to lady Ann—”

“My mother’s insolence to lady Ann!” exclaimed Barbara, drawing herself, in her indignation, to the height of her small person.

“—if, as I say,” her father went on, “he should now condescend to ask you—I swear—”

“You had better not swear, papa!”

“I swear you shall not have a foot of my land.”

“Oh, is that all? There you are in your right, and I have nothing to say.”

“You insolent hussy! You won’t like it when you find it done!”

“It will be the same as if Mark had lived.”

“It’s that cursed money of your mother’s that makes you impudent!”

“If you could leave me penniless, papa, it would make no difference. A woman that can shoe her own horse—”

“Shoe her own horse!” cried her father.

“Yes, papa! You couldn’t! And I made two of her shoes the last time! Wouldn’t any woman that can do that, wouldn’t she—to save herself from shame and disgust—wouldn’t she take a place as a housemaid or shop girl rather than marry the man she didn’t love?”

Mr. Wylder saw he had gone too far.

“You know more than is good!” he said. “But don’t you mistake—your mother’s money is settled on you, but your father is your trustee! Take care how far you push him!”

“My father is a gentleman!” rejoined Barbara—not so near the truth as she believed.

“Take you care how you push a gentleman,” rejoined her father.

“Not to love is not to marry—not if the man was a prince!” persisted Barbara.