"Why had he not succeeded ?" she asked herself.

So there was in her tone an unconscious recrimination when she answered his question about Ellen.
"Yes--what she had better go to work at," said Fanny, dryly, her black eyes cold on her husband's face.
Andrew turned so white that he frightened her.

"Go to work!" said he.

Then all at once he gave an exceedingly loud and bitter groan.
It betrayed all his pride in and ambition for his daughter and his disgust and disappointment over himself.

"Oh! my God, has it come to this," he groaned, "that I cannot support my one child!" Fanny laid down her work and looked at him.