Presently, out of the general chaos the young man's dazed mind stirred;
leapt to life. Thought shook him through like waves of pain. It came
upon him first, with crushing force, that this sweet-voiced girl with a
face like all the angels had after all coldly lied, murderously lied,
and maintained her lie through many months. Hard upon that, blotting it
out, there swept the juster knowledge that, no matter what she had
done, truth had triumphed at last; what was good in her had overcome her
poor weakness. Lastly, he thought of Jack Dalhousie who, from the
clouds, had received his release from prison. Yes, old Dal could come
home now....

"He never knew," said V.V., in his curious voice. "I'm so glad ... This
clears him ... I never understood how he could have ... I'm so glad
to--have it settled...."

If he was so glad, his face libelled him past forgiveness. But Cally
Heth still soared, too high in the unplumbed blue to note, even now,
what house was this she had destroyed.

"I really didn't realize at all at the time," she said, with the same
simplicity. "It all happened so quickly, and it was so bewildering, and
I didn't have time to think. The story about him just seemed to spring
up of itself, and then it grew and grew all the time. I've worried a
great deal about it, all along...."

A kind of passion came into the man's face, and he said:

"Thank God, there's still time to make it all right."

Then his look brought her down a little.... "To make it all right?"

Vivian gazed down. He thought of what lay ahead for her now; and his
heart seemed to turn within him.... However, sympathy was not desired of
him: his lot was but to strengthen the hands of the brave.

"Miss Heth--indeed, I could envy you all the happiness you are going to
give. Think--just think what it means ... I know you must be eager--to
begin, to--"

"To begin?" she echoed again, feeling somehow that their privacy was
being invaded. "Why--what do you mean?... I don't understand."

"I jump ahead too fast, of course. But--you must be so anxious ... to
have it all off your mind, and not think of it any more. I know you must
be impatient to get word to Dal at the first possible moment--it means
so much to him. More than meat and drink.... And then there's his poor
old father ..."

Cally stared at him, speechless. There was no exaltation now; no more
soaring. Rooted in her tracks she stood, yet seemed to herself to
shrink and recoil from him, i