Take no account of me any more." The unwonted, perplexing, agitating relations in which she had stood to Winterborne quite lately--brought about by Melbury's own contrivance--could not fail to soften the natural anger of a parent at her more recent doings.

"My daughter, things are bad," he rejoined.
"But why do you persevere to make 'em worse?
What good can you do to Giles by staying here with him?
Mind, I ask no questions.

I don't inquire why you decided to come here, or anything as to what your course would have been if he had not died, though I know there's no deliberate harm in ye.

As for me, I have lost all claim upon you, and I make no complaint.

But I do say that by coming back with me now you will show no less kindness to him, and escape any sound of shame.
"But I don't wish to escape it." "If you don't on your own account, cannot you wish to on mine and hers?
Nobody except our household knows that you have left home.