ng."

"I told you several things," returned Mrs. Ferrall composedly. "Your
uncle thought it best for you to know."

"Yes. The marriage vows sat lightly upon some of my ancestors, I gather.
In fact," she added coolly, "where the women of my race loved they
usually found the way--rather unconventionally. There was, if I
understood you, enough of divorce, of general indiscretion and
irregularity to seriously complicate any family tree and coat of arms I
might care to claim--"

"Sylvia!"

The girl lifted her pretty bare shoulders. "I'm sorry, but could I help
it? Very well; all I can do is to prove a decent exception. Very well;
I'm doing it, am I not?--practically scared into the first solidly
suitable marriage offered--seizing the unfortunate Howard with both
hands for fear he'd get away and leave me alone with only a queer
family record for company! Very well! Now then, I want to ask you why
everybody, in my case, didn't go about with sanctimonious faces and
dolorous mien repeating: 'Her grand-mother eloped! Her mother ran away.
Poor child, she's doomed! doomed!'"

"Sylvia, I--"

"Yes--why didn't they? That's the way they talk about that boy out
there!" She swept a rounded arm toward the veranda.

"Yes, but he has already broken loose, while you--"

"So did I--nearly! Had it not been for you, you know well enough I might
have run away with that dreadful Englishman at Newport! For I adored
him--I did! I did! and you know it. And look at my endless escapes from
compromising myself! Can you count them?--all those indiscretions when
mere living seemed to intoxicate me that first winter--and only my uncle
and you to break me in!"

"In other words," said Mrs. Ferrall slowly, "you don't think Mr. Siward
is getting what is known as a square deal?"

"No, I don't. Major Belwether has already hinted--no, not even that--but
has somehow managed to dampen my pleasure in Mr. Siward."

Mrs. Ferrall considered the girl beside her--now very lovely and flushed
in her suppressed excitement.

"After all," she said, "you are going to marry somebody else. So why
become quite so animated about a man you may never again see?"

"I shall see him if I desire to!"

"Oh!"

"I am not taking the black veil, am I?" asked the girl hotly.

"Only the wedding veil, dear. But after all your husband ought to have
something to suggest concerning a common visiting list--"

"He may suggest--certainly. In the meantime I shall be loyal to my