flatly.

"You must remember one thing, George," she said, after a moment. "You
cannot take Lutie back until you have paid mother in full for all that
your freedom cost her. It wouldn't be fair to take both the girl and the
money she received for giving you up that time. She was paid in full for
returning you to the family circle. If she takes you back again, she
should refund the money, even though she is accepting damaged and well-
worn goods. Now, Lutie should not be called upon to make restitution. That
is for you to do. I fancy it will be a long time before you can amass
thirty or forty thousand dollars, so I make you this offer: the day you
are _good_ enough for Lutie to marry all over again, I will pay to mother
for you the full amount that Lutie would owe her in violating the
contract. You will not receive a cent of it, you see. But you understand
how rotten it would be for you and Lutie to--"

"I see, I see," cried he, striking his knee with his clenched hand. "We
couldn't do it, that's all. It's awfully good of you, Anne, to do this for
me. I'll--I'll never forget it. And I'll pay you back somehow before we're
through, see if I don't." He was already assuming that the task of winning
back Lutie was joyously on the way to certain consummation.

"I am a rich woman," said Anne, compressing her lips. "I sha'n't miss a
few dollars, you know. To-morrow I am to go with Mr. Hollenback to the
safety vaults. A fortune will be placed in my hands. The deal will be
closed."

"It's a lot of money," said George, shaking his head gloomily. It was as
if he had said that it was money she shouldn't speak of with pride. "I
say, Anne, do you know just how mother is fixed for money? Last winter she
told me she might have to sell the house and--"

"I know," said Anne shortly. "I intend to share the spoils with her, in a
way, even though she can't share the shame with me. She brought us up,
George, and she made us the noble creatures that we are. We owe her
something for that, eh? Oh, I am not as bitter as I appear to be, so don't
look shocked. Mother has her ideals, and she is honest about them. She is
a wonderful woman, a wonderful mother. She did her best for us in every
way possible. I don't blame her for what has happened to me. I blame
myself. She is not half as mean as I am, George, and she isn't one-tenth
as weak-kneed as you. She stood by both of us, and I for one shall stand
by her. So don't you worry about mother, old b