—can you believe it?—when the thought haunts me how it would be if my father were to come and show himself before us both, what seems as if it would scorch me most is seeing my father shrinking before Ezra. That is the truth. I don't know whether it is a right feeling. But I can't help thinking that I would rather try to maintain my father in secret, and bear a great deal in that way, if I could hinder him from meeting my brother."
"You must not encourage that feeling, Mirah," said Mrs Meyrick, hastily. "It would be very dangerous; it would be wrong. You must not have concealments of that sort."
"But ought I now to tell Ezra that I have seen my father?" said Mirah, with deprecation in her tone.
"No," Mrs Meyrick answered, dubitatively. "I don't know that it is necessary to do that. Your father may go away with the birds. It is not clear that he came after you; you may never see him again. And then your brother will have been spared a useless anxiety. But promise me that if your father sees you—gets hold of you in any way again—you will let us all know. Promise me that solemnly, Mirah. I have a right to ask it."
