urroundings by her inexplicable but
undeniable charm. She was one of those women of whom people say, "It is
impossible to tell what attracts men in a woman." She was indifferent,
she was casual, she was even cruel; yet every male creature she met fell
a victim before her. Her slightest gesture had a fascination for the
masculine mind; her silliest words a significance. "I declare men are
the biggest fools where women are concerned," Miss Priscilla had
remarked, watching her; and the words had adequately expressed the
opinion of the feminine half of Dinwiddie's population.

From sixteen to twenty-two she had remained as indifferent as a star to
the impassioned moths flitting around her. Then, a month after her
twenty-second birthday, she had coolly announced her engagement to a man
whom she had seen but six times--a widower at that, twelve years older
than herself, and the father of two children. The blow had fallen,
without warning, upon Virginia, who had never seen the man, and did not
like what she had heard of him. Unwisely, she had attempted to
remonstrate, and had been met by the reply, "Mother, dear, you must
allow me to decide what is for my happiness," and a manner which said,
"After all, you know so much less of life than I do, how can you advise
me?"

It was intolerable, of course, and the worst of it was that, rebel as
she might against the admission, Virginia could not plausibly deny the
truth of either the remark or the manner. On the face of it, Lucy must
know best what she wanted, and as for knowledge of life, she was
certainly justified in considering her mother a child beside her.
Oliver, when the case was put before him, showed a sympathy with
Virginia's point of view and a moral inability to coerce his daughter
into accepting it. "She knows I never liked Craven," he said, "but after
all what are we going to do about it? She's old enough to decide for
herself, and you can't in this century put a girl on bread and water
because she marries as she chooses."

Nothing about duty! nothing about consideration for her family! nothing
about the awful responsibility of entering lightly into such sacred
relations! Lucy was evidently in love--if she hadn't been, why on earth
should she have precipitated herself into an affair whose only reason
was a lack of reason that was conclusive?--but she might have been
engaging a chauffeur for all the solemnity she put into the
arrangements. She had selected her clothes