She was very pale. She began to roll up her work.

"Now I think you can go on with it," she said. "If you get in trouble
again, let me know."

Then the two friends looked at each other until the tears came into
their eyes.

"I'm very sorry," murmured Cynthia in a broken voice.

"But you see----"

"Yes. I understand. I hope Ben will be very happy."

Afterward Polly sat down and cried. She knew Ben loved Cynthia so. They
had counted on having her in the family. But she felt quite certain now
that Ed Saltonstall would get her. And he was a flirt, going with every
pretty girl, every new girl for a little while.

Cynthia went home in a very sober mood. Why had they all cared so much
about her? They had nice attractive qualities, but why could they not
look at her just as she looked at them! She did not know very much about
men and that with them pursuit often merged into the strong desire for
possession, which she did not understand. But she did not want to be
blamed. She would have none of them. Cousin Chilian was more to her. If
he seldom danced and was never very gay, there were so many other
requirements to life; there was something in his nature to which hers
responded readily.

Then suddenly she seemed to have lost the clue. She experienced a season
of bewilderment. Was Cousin Chilian meaning she should take Mr.
Saltonstall for a lover? He surely gave him opportunities he had given
no other. Sometimes he excused himself and went out. There were some
difficulties with the mother country that men were discussing. She
really felt a little awkward at being left alone with Mr. Saltonstall.
Not only that, but it awoke a strange terror in her soul that he should
come so near; it was as if her whole being rose in arms.

Occasionally Chilian spoke of her marriage--he had always said she was
too young, in a protesting manner. So on one occasion she gained
courage.

"Do you mean--that is--you would like to--have me married, Cousin
Chilian?"

Married! It was as if she had given him a stab. And yet was not that
just the thing he had been thinking of?

"Why, you see, Cynthia," he made his voice purposely cold, "I am much
older than you. I may die some day. Cousin Eunice will no doubt go
before me, and you would not like to go on alone. Then Giles is older
even than I. One has to think of these things. Yes, it would be nice to
know you were happily settled."

"And why couldn't a woman live alone as well as a man? I c