carriage drove off and left
them alone. Then she noticed that Mrs. Failing herself was agitated. Her
lips were trembling, and she saw the boy depart with manifest relief.

"Do you know," she said hurriedly, as if talking against time--"Do you
know what upset Rickie?"

"I do indeed know."

"Has he told any one else?"

"I believe not."

"Agnes--have I been a fool?"

"You have been very unkind," said the girl, and her eyes filled with
tears.

For a moment Mrs. Failing was annoyed. "Unkind? I do not see that at
all. I believe in looking facts in the face. Rickie must know his ghosts
some time. Why not this afternoon?"

She rose with quiet dignity, but her tears came faster. "That is not so.
You told him to hurt him. I cannot think what you did it for. I suppose
because he was rude to you after church. It is a mean, cowardly revenge.

"What--what if it's a lie?"

"Then, Mrs. Failing, it is sickening of you. There is no other word.
Sickening. I am sorry--a nobody like myself--to speak like this. How
COULD you, oh, how could you demean yourself? Why, not even a poor
person--Her indignation was fine and genuine. But her tears fell no
longer. Nothing menaced her if they were not really brothers.

"It is not a lie, my clear; sit down. I will swear so much solemnly. It
is not a lie, but--"

Agnes waited.

"--we can call it a lie if we choose."

"I am not so childish. You have said it, and we must all suffer. You
have had your fun: I conclude you did it for fun. You cannot go
back. He--" She pointed towards the stables, and could not finish her
sentence.

"I have not been a fool twice."

Agnes did not understand.

"My dense lady, can't you follow? I have not told Stephen one single
word, neither before nor now."

There was a long silence.

Indeed, Mrs. Failing was in an awkward position.

Rickie had irritated her, and, in her desire to shock him, she had
imperilled her own peace. She had felt so unconventional upon the
hillside, when she loosed the horror against him; but now it was
darting at her as well. Suppose the scandal came out. Stephen, who was
absolutely without delicacy, would tell it to the people as soon as tell
them the time. His paganism would be too assertive; it might even be in
bad taste. After all, she had a prominent position in the neighbourhood;
she was talked about, respected, looked up to. After all, she was
growing old. And therefore, though she had no true regard for Rickie,
no