"A little foolish, indeed! You have behaved like a fool, as you always do. What right have you to be extravagant? Are you in a position to be so? Have I not fed and clothed and educated you?"
"You have done everything that a charitable woman could have done."
"You mean that a _mother_ could have done. Had you been my own child--"
"You might have been kinder to me," finished the young man.
Mrs Gabriel stared aghast at this speech, and at last broke out furiously, "Had you been my own child you would have been a stronger man; not a weak fool squandering money, and defying your benefactress. You ought to be ashamed of yourself."
"I am," replied Leo, bitterly, "ashamed that I have endured this humiliating position for so long. I was only a child when you brought me here, and had no voice in the matter. Yet, out of gratitude, I have borne with your injustice, and--"
"Injustice!" broke in Mrs Gabriel. "What do you mean?"
"My meaning is not hard to gather, mother. You have never been just to me, and the bread with which you have fed me has been bitter enough to swallow. Do you think that I can go on listening to your angry words without a protest? I cannot. My position is not of my own making, and since you find me a burden and an ungrateful creature, the best thing will be to put an end to the position."
"Indeed!" sneered the woman. "And how do you propose to do that? You are quite unable to earn your own living."
"Oh, there is one way of doing that," replied Leo, grimly. "It does not need much education to be a soldier."
"Yes. I made inquiries while I was in London, as I knew very well what welcome you would give me. It is my intention to volunteer for the war."
"I beg your pardon. I have made up my mind."
"Then I shall have nothing more to do with you."
"That is as you please, Mrs Gabriel. You are my aunt, and I suppose you have the right to support me out of charity. At any rate, you have no right to keep me here and taunt me all the time with my inability to keep myself. Again I say that the position is none of my making. However, I intend to relieve you of the burden of a useless man. Next week I shall enlist. Then you will be well rid of me."
Mrs Gabriel gasped. "I forbid you!" she cried, with a stamp.