He didn't give me any money--only enough to get home on. And I
kept my suit--why!" she flung her head back, "I wouldn't have taken any
money!"

"That means," said Dwight, "that you will have to continue to live
here--on the old terms, and of course I'm quite willing that you should.
Let me tell you, however, that this is on condition--on condition that
this disgraceful business is kept to ourselves."

She made no attempt to combat him now. She looked back at him,
quivering, and in a great surprise, but she said nothing.

"Truly, Lulu," said Ina, "wouldn't that be best? They'll talk anyway.
But this way they'll only talk about you, and the other way it'd be
about all of us."

Lulu said only: "But the other way would be the truth."

Dwight's eyes narrowed: "My dear Lulu," he said, "are you _sure_ of
that?"

"Sure?"

"Yes. Did he give you any proofs?"

"Proofs?"

"Letters--documents of any sort? Any sort of assurance that he was
speaking the truth?"

"Why, no," said Lulu. "Proofs--no. He told me."

"He told you!"

"Why, that was hard enough to have to do. It was terrible for him to
have to do. What proofs--" She stopped, puzzled.

"Didn't it occur to you," said Dwight, "that he might have told you that
because he didn't want to have to go on with it?"

As she met his look, some power seemed to go from Lulu. She sat down,
looked weakly at them, and within her closed lips her jaw was slightly
fallen. She said nothing. And seeing on her skirt a spot of dust she
began to rub at that.

"Why, Dwight!" Ina cried, and moved to her sister's side.

"I may as well tell you," he said, "that I myself have no idea that
Ninian told you the truth. He was always imagining things--you saw
that. I know him pretty well--have been more or less in touch with him
the whole time. In short, I haven't the least idea he was ever married
before."

Lulu continued to rub at her skirt.

"I never thought of that," she said.

"Look here," Dwight went on persuasively, "hadn't you and he had some
little tiff when he told you?"

"No--no! Why, not once. Why, we weren't a bit like you and Ina."

She spoke simply and from her heart and without guile.

"Evidently not," Dwight said drily.

Lulu went on: "He was very good to me. This dress--and my shoes--and my
hat. And another dress, too." She found the pins and took off her hat.
"He liked the red wing," she said. "I wanted black--oh, Dwight! He did
tell me the truth!" It was as if