She had picked up these ideas, of course, out of some book and was showing off.

Children should be snubbed and kept in their places: "Then you don't cry when your nurse leaves you at night without a candle.

What a good little girl! But perhaps you take a doll to bed," he added mockingly, "or suck your thumb." Halcyone did not answer, her eyes, benign as a goddess's, looked him through and through--and Cheiron leaned back in his chair and puffed volumes of smoke while he chuckled delightedly: "Take care, John--you will come off second best, for Halcyone can see the other side of your head." For some unaccountable reason, John Derringham felt annoyed; but it was too contemptible to be annoyed by a child, so he laughed as he answered condescendingly: "There, I will not tease her.

I expect she hates me already--" and he pushed his hat back from his eyes.
"No," said Halcyone.

"One only hates a thing one fears; hate implies fear.