"At all events it is not yours," said Dan, hotly. Then he came nearer, and
the anger died out of his eyes. "Don't let's quarrel, grandpa," he pleaded.
"I've gotten into a mess, and I'm sorry for it--on my word I am."
"So you've come whining to me to get you out," returned the Major, shaking
as if he had gone suddenly palsied.
Dan drew back and his hand fell to his side.
"So help me God, I'll never whine to you again," he answered.
"Do you want to know what you have done, sir?" demanded the Major. "You
have broken your grandmother's heart and mine--and made us wish that we had
left you by the roadside when you came crawling to our door. And, on my
oath, if I had known that the day would ever come when you would try to
murder a Virginia gentleman for the sake of a bar-room hussy, I would have
left you there, sir."
"Stop!" said Dan again, looking at the old man with his mother's eyes.
"You have broken your grandmother's heart and mine," repeated the Major, in
a trembling voice, "and I pray to God that you may not break Virginia
Ambler's--poor girl, poor girl!"
"Virginia Ambler!" said Dan, slowly. "Why, there was nothing between us,
nothing, nothing."
"And you dare to tell me this to my face, sir?" cried the Major.
"Dare! of course I dare," returned Dan, defiantly. "If there was ever
anything at all it was upon my side only--and a mere trifling fancy."
The old gentleman brought his hand down upon his table with a blow that
sent the papers fluttering to the floor.
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