d "Winnie!" and imparted the joyful news to a
little, rosy-faced girl whose eyes shone with ecstasy. To go to the
pictures--at night--and with Cousin Carrie--Life could hold no more,
and she sped off to change her frock, like an arrow from the bow.

Caroline had turned away and was staring rather moodily out of the
window. Then she felt a hand on her arm. "Carrie, it wasn't young Mr.
Wilson you were with, was it?" Mrs. Creddle said in a low voice.

In the involuntary start which followed the words she had her answer;
letting her hand drop, she turned an agitated face towards Caroline.
"Then you weren't after no good on Thursday night. Your uncle was
right. Oh, Carrie, how could you--with him going to be married in a
fortnight? I should have thought you would have more self-respect."

Caroline swung round upon her, eyes ablaze. "Who told you I was with
Mr. Wilson? You don't want to listen to everything you hear in
Thorhaven, surely! And if I was, I was doing no wrong."

"I don't know how you could, Carrie," repeated Mrs. Creddle.
"Trapesing about at night with Miss Laura's young man when you ought to
have been abed--and after the way she has always treated us all. Why,
the very frock Winnie is putting on now is made out of one of hers. I
should take shame to try and make mischief between her and her young
man, and with him going to be married directly."

"Don't talk such rot, aunt. I have done nothing to be ashamed of,"
said Caroline rudely, "and I've not set eyes on him since Thursday
night. You may talk about Miss Laura--but I owe her nothing. I've
paid all back, and more." She paused a moment, but pride, suspense,
emotion unnaturally repressed--all combined to betray her into saying
what she had never meant to say to any human being. "You think I've
behaved badly, do you? Well! I might have taken him away from her
altogether. He wanted to throw her over, only I wouldn't have it."

"Oh!" Mrs. Creddle gasped; then went on in a low tone of apprehension
and unhappiness. "I didn't think it was as bad as that, Carrie."

"Bad!" Caroline stared with genuine surprise at this reception of her
bomb-shell. "He wanted to _marry_ me, I tell you."

Mrs. Creddle shook her head. "Poor Miss Laura! Well, I didn't think
he was that sort, but you never know." She paused, then said gently:
"My dear little lass, don't you know all men talk like that when they
want to make fools of silly girls? I don't suppos