t know who the people were, but
Ruthven acted abominably. . . . The _Niobrara_ anchored in Widgeon Bay
yesterday; and Alixe is aboard, and her husband is in New York, and
Rosamund says he means to divorce her in one way or another! Ugh! the
horrible little man with his rings and bangles!"

She shuddered: "Why, the mere bringing of such a suit means her social
ruin no matter what verdict is brought in! Her only salvation has
been in remaining inconspicuous; and a sane girl would have realised
it. But"--and she made a gesture of despair--"you see what she has
done. . . . And Phil--you know what she has done to you--what a mad risk
she took in going to your rooms that night--"

"Who said she had ever been in my rooms?" he demanded, flushing darkly
in his surprise.

"Did you suppose I didn't know it?" she asked quietly. "Oh, but I did;
and it kept me awake nights, worrying. Yet I knew it must have been all
right--knowing you as I do. But do you suppose other people would hold
you as innocent as I do? Even Eileen--the sweetest, whitest, most loyal
little soul in the world--was troubled when Rosamund hinted at some
scandal touching you and Alixe. She told me--but she did not tell me
what Rosamund had said--the mischief maker!"

His face had become quite colourless; he raised an unsteady hand to his
mouth, touching his moustache; and his gray eyes narrowed menacingly.

"Rosamund--spoke of scandal to--Eileen?" he repeated. "Is that
possible?"

"How long do you suppose a girl can live and not hear scandal of some
sort?" said Nina. "It's bound to rain some time or other, but I prepared
my little duck's back to shed some things."

"You say," insisted Selwyn, "that Rosamund spoke of me--in that way--to
Eileen?"

"Yes. It only made the child angry, Phil; so don't worry."

"No; I won't worry. No, I--I won't. You are quite right, Nina. But the
pity of it; that tight, hard-shelled woman of the world--to do such a
thing--to a young girl."

"Rosamund is Rosamund," said Nina with a shrug; "the antidote to her
species is obvious."

"Right, thank God!" said Selwyn between his teeth; "_Mens sana in
corpore sano_! bless her little heart! I'm glad you told me this, Nina."

He rose and laughed a little--a curious sort of laugh; and Nina watched
him, perplexed.

"Where are you going, Phil?" she asked.

"I don't know. I--where is Eileen?"

"She's lying down--a headache; probably too much sun and salt water.
Shall I send for he