lamp, was lying awake in bed
thinking that Evelyn would come in and make some confidence to her,
but she did not come. Maria felt horribly uneasy. She could not
understand her sister's sudden change of mood, and yet she did not
for a moment doubt Wollaston. She said to herself that as far as she
was concerned she would brave the publicity if Wollaston loved
Evelyn, but she recalled as exactly as if she had committed them to
heart what Evelyn had said with regard to divorce and the horror
which she had expressed of a divorced man or woman remarrying. Then
she further considered how much worse it would be if the divorced man
married her own sister. That course seemed to her impossible. She
imagined the horrible details, the surmises, the newspaper articles,
and she said to herself that even if she herself were willing to face
the ordeal it would be still more of an ordeal for Wollaston and
Evelyn. She said to herself that it was impossible; then she also
said to herself, with no bitterness, but with an acquiescence in the
logic of it, that it would be much better for them all if she, Maria,
should die.

Chapter XXXVI

Evelyn's return of appetite and spirits endured only a few days. Then
she seemed worse than she had been before. In fact, Wollaston,
thinking that he had done wrong in yielding for only a second to his
impulse of tender protection and admiration for the young girl, went
too far in the opposite direction. In order to make amends to Maria,
himself, and Evelyn, he was actually rude, almost brutal. He scarcely
spoke to Evelyn. On one occasion he even reprimanded her severely in
a class for a slight mistake. Evelyn turned pale, and gave him a
glance like that of some pretty, little, harmless animal which has
nothing except love and devotion in its heart, and whose very
mistakes are those of love and over-anxiety to please. Wollaston was
struck to the heart by the look, but he did not relax one muscle of
his stern face.

"I think Mr. Lee treated you mean, so there," Addie Hemingway said to
Evelyn when they had left the room.

Evelyn said nothing. Her face continued pale and shocked. It was
inconceivable to her that anybody, least of all Mr. Lee, could have
spoken so to her.

"He's treating you like a child," Addie Hemingway continued. "Mr. Lee
has no right to speak so to seniors." Addie's words were in
themselves sympathetic, but there was an undertone of delight at the
other girl's discomfiture in h