ier for you. You will be wanting to get away from us as quickly as
possible. How can we manage it for you? And where will you go? You will
not want to go home just yet?"

He paused, a new agony of the knowledge of David's part coming to him.

"No, I cannot go home," said David hopelessly, a look of keen pain darting
across his face, "for the house will be all ready for her, and the table
set. The friends will be coming in, and we are invited to dinner and tea
everywhere. They will all be coming to the house, my friends, to welcome
us. No, I cannot go home." Then he passed his hand over his forehead
blindly, and added, in a stupefied tone, "and yet I must--sometime--I
must--go--home!"

CHAPTER V

The room was very still as he spoke. Madam Schuyler forgot the coming
guests and the preparations, in consternation over the thought of David
and his sorrow. Marcia sobbed softly upon her father's breast, and her
father involuntarily placed his arm about her as he stood in painful
thought.

"It is terrible!" he murmured, "terrible! How could she bear to inflict
such sorrow! She might have saved us the scorn of all of our friends.
David, you must not go back alone. It must not be. You must not bear that.
There are lovely girls in plenty elsewhere. Find another one and marry
her. Take your bride home with you, and no one in your home need be the
wiser. Don't sorrow for that cruel girl of mine. Give her not the
satisfaction of feeling that your life is broken. Take another. Any girl
might be proud to go with you for the asking. Had I a dozen other
daughters you should have your pick of them, and one should go with you,
if you would condescend to choose another from the home where you have
been so treacherously dealt with. But I have only this one little girl.
She is but a child as yet and cannot compare with what you thought you
had. I blame you not if you do not wish to wed another Schuyler, but if
you will she is yours. And she is a good girl. David, though she is but a
child. Speak up, child, and say if you will make amends for the wrong your
sister has done!"

The room was so still one could almost hear the heartbeats. David had
raised his head once more and was looking at Marcia. Sad and searching was
his gaze, as if he fain would find the features of Kate in her face, yet
it seemed to Marcia, as she raised wide tear-filled eyes from her father's
breast where her head still lay,