f the news seemed to
have reduced her mind to chaos for a moment. One could not have told from
her words or manner whether the surprise was pleasant or painful to her.

She drew her chair back from the table a little, and sought for and found
her handkerchief. She dried her eyes with it as she found her voice.

"I don't know, I don't know, I'm sure. I've prayed all night that this
might be, and now that the Lord has heard my prayer and answered it, I
feel cast right down with the wonder of it. Had I the right to interfere?
I don't know, I'm sure. It seems terrible to separate two people but I had
no thought only for you. I've spoken against the girl, and wished against
her, and felt bad in my heart against her, and now it's all over I'm just
cast down."

"She did not care for me," said Pinckney. "Why she was laughing at me last
night with him. They were sitting outside together, and when I passed them
I heard them laughing at me."

Miss Pinckney put her handkerchief away, drew in her chair, and poured
herself out some more tea energetically and with a heightened colour.

"I don't want to speak bad about any one," said she, "but there are girls
and girls. I know them, and time and again I've seen girls hanging
themselves out with labels on them. 'I'm the finest apple on the tree,'
yet no one has picked them for all their labels, because every one has
guessed that they aren't--That crab apple labelling itself a pippin and
daring to laugh at you! And that long loony Silas Grangerson, a man
without a penny to bless himself with, a creature whose character is just
kinks. Well, I'm sure--pass me the butter--laughing at you. And what were
they laughing at pray? Aren't you straight and the best looking man in
Charleston? Couldn't you buy the Rhetts twice over if you wanted to buy
such rubbish? Aren't you the top man in Charleston in name and position
and character? Why, they'll be laughing at the jokes in the N'York papers
next--They'll be appreciating their own good sense and cleverness and
personal beauty next thing--They'll be worshipping Bryan."

"Oh, I don't think they'll ever get as bad as that," said he laughing,
"but I don't think I care whether people grin at me or not; it's only just
this, she and I were never meant for each other, and I found it out, and
found it out in time. You see the engagement was never made public, so the
breaking of it won't do her any harm. She would not let me tell people
about it, she