ness she had already tasted.

"Good-bye," said Betty softly, kissing the white cheek, and trying to
hurry her mother towards the door.

At this, Helen, who had been standing with face growing whiter and
whiter, went to Mrs. Macgregor and put her arms around her and kissed
her good-bye. When she was nearing the door she came hurriedly back.
"Oh, let me stay with you. I cannot bear to go," she whispered.

The old lady turned and scrutinised steadily the young face turned so
pleadingly toward her. Slowly under that steady gaze the red crept up
into the white cheek, like the first dawning of day, till the whole
face and neck were in a hot flame of colour. Yet the grey, lustrous
eyes never wavered, but, unshrinking, answered the old lady's searching
look. At that revealing wave of colour Shock's mother made as if to
push the girl away from her, but, with a quick change of mood, she took
her in her arms instead.

"Ay, poor lassie, you too! Yes, yes, you may stay with me now."

The motherly touch and tone and the knowledge that her secret had been
read were more than Helen could bear. She clung to Mrs. Macgregor,
sobbing passionate sobs.

At this extraordinary outburst Mrs. Fairbanks came back into the room
and stood with Shock and the others gazing in utter amazement upon this
scene.

"Whist now, lassie, whist now," Mrs. Macgregor was saying, "never you
fear, he'll come back again."

"What on earth is this nonsense, Helen?" Mrs. Fairbanks' voice was
haughty and suspicious. "What does this mean?"

"It means," said Mrs. Macgregor with quiet dignity, "what neither you
nor I can help or harm."

"Helen, speak to me."

At the stern command Helen lifted her face, still hot with blushes, and
stood looking straight into her mother's eyes. Her mother turned from
her impatiently.

"Do you know what this means?" she said to Shock.

"What? I don't understand," replied Shock, gazing helplessly at the
haughty, angry face turned toward him.

"Have you dared to speak to my daughter?"

"Oh, mamma," cried Helen, in an agony of mortification, "how can you?"

"You may well be ashamed," said Mrs. Fairbanks, who had quite lost
control of herself, "throwing yourself at the head of a man so far
beneath you, with no prospects, and who does not even want you."

"So far beneath, did you say?" cried Mrs. Macgregor quickly. "Woman,
say no more. You shame yourself, let alone your child.
Whist,"--checking the other's speech--"the blood