More and more she had come to regard him as her comforter.
Not from anything he ever said or did.

Rather, it seemed to her, because that with him she felt no need of words.
The works, since Arthur had shared the management, had gradually been regaining their position; and he had urged her to let him increase her allowance.
"It will give you greater freedom," he had suggested with fine assumption of propounding a mere business proposition; "enabling you to choose your work entirely for its own sake.

I have always wanted to take a hand in helping things on.

It will come to just the same, your doing it for me." She had suppressed a smile, and had accepted.

"Thanks, Dad," she had answered.