“Do you mean,” said Cally, in quite a shaky voice—­“do you say that papa—­meant to improve the Works this fall—­and that you—­that I—­”

“I mean exactly what I say,” said Mrs. Heth, resolutely.  “And I say it’s high time you were beginning to understand your position in this family, as a guide to your strange behavior.  Do you suppose your father enjoys being under attack all the time?  Haven’t you heard him say a hundred times, that it was bad business to let things go at the Works?  Where were you six years ago when he said we’d have to economize and put up a new building, and I prevented him for your sake, arguing that you were just coming out and were entitled to—­”

“Six years!...  Why ... why, then I’m responsible for it all!...  Why—­I’ve been on his back all the time!”

“I’m glad you realize it at last....  Oh, well!” said her mother, throwing out both hands and speaking with a kind of gruff tolerance,—­“there’s no use to cry about it.”

“I’m not crying,” said Cally.

She was, indeed, not crying as her mother had usually seen her cry; not with storm and racking.  Nevertheless, two indubitable drops suddenly glittered upon the gay lashes, and now fell silently as Cally spoke.

“But I could cry,” said she, “I’m so happy ...  I’m so glad, to know it’s all been my fault....  You don’t know ...  I went to the Works the other day—­”

“Oh, you did!” said her mother, bitterly, but enlightened a little.  “And have been criticizing your father, I suppose, the father who has sacrificed—­”

“He’ll forgive me....  He must.  I’ll find a way.”

Mrs. Heth, flinging herself down in her chair again, said in a voice full of sudden depression:  “I should say you owed him apologies, for that among other things....  Well, I give you up.”

Cally stood unmoving, slim hands locked behind her head, staring toward the window.  Gone was the albatross from her young neck, melted the cloud from the azure round.  Wisdom had come with such startling unexpectedness that she could not take in all that had happened to her just now.  But all that mattered was as plain and bright as the sunshine waiting for her out there.  She, and not papa whom she had so wronged in her thoughts, had made the bunching-room what it was; she, and nobody else, should make it better after this.  And through the splendid confusion of sensations that, mounting within, seemed to float her away from this solid floor, she heard one clear voice sounding ever louder and louder.  It was the voice of the prodigal, chastened and penitent:  "I will arise and go to my father."

Cally turned toward the door.

Her mother, stirring from her heavy rebuking apathy, said:  “Oh, there’s no use bothering him now to say you’re sorry.  You’ve not thought of him all these years ...”

“That’s why I can’t wait—­now,” said Cally.  “And besides, there’s something else I want to speak to him about....  A—­a business matter.”