ht home with me," she said in a
low stern voice, as if she had not heard his apostrophe; and one of the
girls called out: "Say, how many fellers does she want?"

There was another laugh, followed by a pause of curiosity, during which
Mr. Royall continued to glare at Charity. At length his twitching
lips parted. "I said, 'You--damn--whore!'" he repeated with precision,
steadying himself on Julia's shoulder.

Laughs and jeers were beginning to spring up from the circle of people
beyond their group; and a voice called out from the gangway: "Now,
then, step lively there--all ABOARD!" The pressure of approaching and
departing passengers forced the actors in the rapid scene apart, and
pushed them back into the throng. Charity found herself clinging to
Harney's arm and sobbing desperately. Mr. Royall had disappeared, and in
the distance she heard the receding sound of Julia's laugh.

The boat, laden to the taffrail, was puffing away on her last trip.

XI

AT two o'clock in the morning the freckled boy from Creston stopped his
sleepy horse at the door of the red house, and Charity got out. Harney
had taken leave of her at Creston River, charging the boy to drive her
home. Her mind was still in a fog of misery, and she did not remember
very clearly what had happened, or what they said to each other, during
the interminable interval since their departure from Nettleton; but the
secretive instinct of the animal in pain was so strong in her that she
had a sense of relief when Harney got out and she drove on alone.

The full moon hung over North Dormer, whitening the mist that filled the
hollows between the hills and floated transparently above the fields.
Charity stood a moment at the gate, looking out into the waning night.
She watched the boy drive off, his horse's head wagging heavily to and
fro; then she went around to the kitchen door and felt under the mat for
the key. She found it, unlocked the door and went in. The kitchen
was dark, but she discovered a box of matches, lit a candle and went
upstairs. Mr. Royall's door, opposite hers, stood open on his unlit
room; evidently he had not come back. She went into her room, bolted her
door and began slowly to untie the ribbon about her waist, and to take
off her dress. Under the bed she saw the paper bag in which she had
hidden her new hat from inquisitive eyes....

She lay for a long time sleepless on her bed, staring up at the
moonlight on the low ceiling; dawn w