her--to his wife--all the time, without knowing it. And I don't wonder.
She was one of the best, pluckiest, straightest girls I ever met. I
don't believe she could have done a dishonourable action to save her
life."

He had spoken quite without any ulterior meaning, carried away by his
memory of Toni as he had known and admired her; but his words sounded to
Eva like a direct and deadly insult; and her Irish blood flamed
instantly into revolt.

"Toni straight!" All softer feelings were forgotten now; again she was
the unhappy woman at war with all the world, but especially with her own
sex. "Very straight of her to elope with another man, wasn't it? And as
for pluck, why, she couldn't even stick to him when she'd done it."

"Hush, Eva!" Herrick's brow wore the frown she hated, and, secretly,
feared. "You were never fair to that unhappy girl; and both you and I
know very well that had you acted differently half this misery would
have been spared."

"I was unfair to her?" Eva's voice was choked with rage.

"Yes." He spoke deliberately, rather sadly. "From the first you treated
Toni Rose, unfairly. You knew she was very young, and not very wise in
the ways of the world, and whereas you were an older woman--very little
older in actual years, I grant you----"

"I suppose you mean older in wickedness." She spoke between her teeth.

"I mean you were old enough to have helped the child instead of
encouraging her in her foolishness," he said steadily. "But you did not.
You preferred to inflame her mind by exaggerating her woes, making her
feel herself misunderstood, unloved, unwanted ... oh, I don't know what
you said, what passed between you, but this I do know. You saw that
child shivering on the brink, as it were, of a dreadful precipice, and
not only did you refrain from pulling her back from the edge, but I'm
horribly afraid that yours was the hand which sought to push her over."

"You dare to say this to me?" Her voice was like steel, and there was a
dangerous glint in the Irish eyes which had once been so sweet and gay.

"Yes. Oh, I don't want to be hard on you, to bring it all up again." He
spoke wearily. "I suppose it was the sight of that poor fellow Rose that
made me speak like that just now. But you know, you have known all
along, that I hold you largely responsible for the whole affair, and if
any harm has come to that poor misguided girl, I'm afraid your
conscience can never be wholly clear."

"Stop!" Wi