s. "That
was n't your only reason, Mollie."

The hat with the short crimson feather had been unceremoniously pushed
off, and hung by its elastic upon Mollie's neck; the pretty curly hair
was all crushed into a heap, and the flushed, tear-wet face was hidden
in the folds of Aimee's dress. There was a charming, foolish, fanciful
side to Mollie's desperation, as there was to all her moods.

"That was not your only reason," repeated Aimee.

One impetuous, unhappy little sob, and the poor simple child confessed
against her will.

"Nobody--nobody else cared for me!" she cried.

"Nobody?" said Aimee; and then, making up her mind to go to the point at
once, she said, "Does 'nobody' mean that Ralph Gowan did not, Mollie?"

The clinging hand was snatched away, and the child quite writhed.

"I hate Ralph Gowan!" she cried. "I detest him! I wish--I wish--I _wish_
I had never seen him! Why could n't he stay away among his own people?
Nobody wanted him. Dolly doesn't care for him, and Grif hates him. Why
could n't he stay where he was?"

There was no need to doubt after this, of course. Her love for Ralph
Gowan had rendered her restless and despairing, and so she had worked
out this innocent romance, intending to defend herself against him. The
heroines of her favorite novels married for money when they could
not marry for love, and why should not she? Remember, she was only
seventeen, and had been brought up in Vagabondia among people who did
not often regard consequences. Mr. Gerald Chandos was rich, made violent
love to her, and was ready to promise anything, it appeared,--not that
she demanded much; the Lord Burleighs of her experience invariably
showered jewels and equipages and fine raiment upon their brides without
being asked. She would have thought it positive bliss to be tied to
Ralph Gowan for six or seven years without any earthly prospect of ever
being married; to have belonged to him as Dolly belonged to Grif, to sit
in the parlor and listen to him while he made love to her as Grif made
love to Dolly, would have been quite enough steady-going rapture for
her; but since that was out of the question, Mr. Gerald Chandos and
diamonds and a carriage would have to fill up the blank.

But, of course, she did not say this to Aimee. In fact, after her first
burst of excitement subsided, Aimee could not gain much from her. She
cried a little more, and then seemed vexed with herself, and tried to
cool down, and at last s