Of course, the poor girl could not choose her own guardian, but Mr.Woods said HE had a right to choose who should be his niece's company.

Perhaps Mr.Woods was prejudiced,--most men were,--yet surely Mr.Hathaway, although a loyal friend of Colonel Pendleton's, must admit that when it was an open scandal that the colonel had fought a duel about a notoriously common woman, and even blasphemously defended her before a party of gentlemen, it was high time, as Mr.Woods said, that he should be remanded to their company exclusively.

No; Mrs.Woods could not admit that this was owing to the injustice of her own sex! Men are really the ones who make the fuss over those things, just as they, as Mr.
Hathaway well knew, made the laws! No; it was a great pity, as she and her husband had just agreed, that Mr.Hathaway, of all the guardians, could not have been always the help and counselor--in fact, the elder brother--of poor Yerba! Paul was conscious that he winced slightly, consistently and conscientiously, at the recollection of certain passages of his youth; inconsistently and meanly, at this suggestion of a joint relationship with Yerba's mother.
"I think, too," continued Mrs.Woods, "she has worried foolishly about this ridiculous mystery of her parentage--as if it could make the slightest difference to a girl with a quarter of a million, or as if that didn't show quite conclusively that she WAS somebody!" "Certainly," said Paul, quickly, with a relief that he nevertheless felt was ridiculous.
"And, of course, I dare say it will all come out when she is of age.

I suppose you know if any of the family are still living ?" "I really do not." "I beg your pardon," said Mrs.Woods, with a smile.

"I forgot it's a profound secret until then.