the bad and get it
under in time. She had a terrible instinct for the truth of things.

"Well," said Calhoun, "it's not my affair; if you choose to take pity on
him, well and good; if it were my business I'd give him a cold bath, that
might stop him from doing a thing like that again. I'll say nothing."

Though Miss Pinckney was in ignorance of the affair she was strangely
silent during the drive home and when Phyl went to her room to bid her
good night, she found her in tears, a very rare occurrence with Miss
Pinckney.

She was seated in an armchair crying and Phyl knelt down beside her and
took her hand.

Then it all came out.

"I had hoped and hoped and hoped for him, goodness knows he has been my
one thought, and now he has thrown himself away. Richard is engaged to
Frances Rhett. He told me so to-night--well, there, it's all ended,
there's no hope anywhere, she'll never let him go, and she'll have Vernons
when I'm gone. She picked him out from all the other men--why?-- Why,
because he's the best of the lot for money and position. Care about him!
She cares no more for him than I do for old Darius. I'm sure I don't know
why this trouble should have fallen on me. I suppose I have committed some
sin or another though I can't tell what. I've tried to live blameless and
there's others that haven't, yet they seem to prosper and get their
wishes--and there's no use telling me to be resigned," finished she with a
snap and as if addressing some viewless mentor. "I can't--and what's more
I won't. Never will I resign myself to wickedness, and stupidity is
wickedness, not even a decent, honest wickedness, but a crazy, sap-headed
sort of wickedness, same as influenza isn't a disease but just an ailment
that kills you all the same."

Phyl, kneeling beside Miss Pinckney, had turned deathly white. Only half
an hour ago when the little conference with Calhoun had been concluded,
Richard Pinckney had taken her hand. His words were still ringing in her
ears:

"You saved my life. I can't say what I feel, at least not now."

He had looked straight into her eyes, and now half an hour later--This.

Engaged to Frances Rhett!

She rose up and stood beside Miss Pinckney for a moment whilst that lady
finished her complaints. Then she made her escape and returned to her
room--

As she closed the door she caught a glimpse of herself in the
old-fashioned cheval glass that had been brought up by Dinah and Seth to
help her in dressi