Kate’s face grew very white as she listened.  She ate little dinner that day, poor child, and took the earliest opportunity of retiring to her room.

“You did that uncommonly well, dad,” said Ezra approvingly, after she was gone.  “It hit her hard, I could see that.”

“I think it touched her pride.  People should not have pride.  We are warned against it.  Now, that same pride of hers will forbid her ever thinking of that young man again.”

“And you had the letter written?”

“I wrote it myself.  I think, in such a case, any stratagem is justifiable.  Such large interests are at stake that we must adopt strong measures.  I quite agree with the old Churchmen that the end occasionally justifies the means.”

“Capital, dad; very good!” cried Ezra, chewing his toothpick.  “I like to hear you argue.  It’s quite refreshing.”

“I act according to the lights which are vouchsafed me,” said John Girdlestone gravely; on which Ezra leaned back in his chair and laughed heartily.

The very next morning the merchant spoke to Dimsdale on the matter, for he had observed signs of impatience in the young man, and feared that some sudden impulse might lead him to break his promise and so upset everything.

“Take a seat.  I should like to have a word with you,” he said graciously, when his junior partner appeared before him to consult with him as to the duties of the day.  Tom sat down with hope in his heart.

“It is only fair to you, Mr. Dimsdale,” Girdlestone said, in a kindly voice, “that I should express to you my appreciation of your honourable conduct.  You have kept your promise in regard to Miss Harston in the fullest manner.”

“Of course I kept my promise,” said Tom bluntly.  “I trust, however, that you will soon see your way to withdrawing your prohibition.  It has been a hard trial to me.”

“I have insisted upon it because it seemed to me to be my duty.  Every one takes his own view upon such points, and it has always been my custom throughout life to take what some might think a stringent one.  It appears to me that I owe it to my deceased friend to prevent his daughter, whom he has confided to me, from making any mistake.  As I said before, if you continue to show that you are worthy of her, I may think more favourably of it.  Exemplary as your conduct has been since you joined us, I believe that I am not wrong in stating that you were a little wild when you were at Edinburgh.”

“I never did anything that I am ashamed of,” said Tom.

“Very likely not,” Girdlestone answered, with an irrepressible sneer.  “The question is, did you do anything that your father was ashamed of?”

“Certainly not,” cried Tom hotly.  “I was no milksop or psalm singer, but there is nothing that I ever did there of which I should be ashamed of my father knowing.”

“Don’t speak lightly of psalm singing.  It is a good practice in its way, and you would have been none the worse had you indulged in it perhaps.  However, that is neither here nor there.  What I want you clearly to understand is that my ultimate consent to your union depends entirely upon your own conduct.  Above all, I insist that you refrain from unsettling the girl’s mind at present.”