h figuring. I
believe it's the only thing he ever thought or dreamt about; that
eternal figuring on every bit of paper he could lay hold of, till I
was tired picking them up all over the house. Belle Worthington used
to say it'd of took an angel to stand him. I mean his throwing papers
around that way. For as far as his never talking went, she couldn't
find any fault with that; Mr. Worthington was just as bad, if he
wasn't worse. But Belle's not like me; I don't believe she'd let poor
Mr. Worthington talk in the house if he wanted to."

She gradually drifted away from her starting point, and like most
people who have usually little to say, became very voluble, when once
she passed into the humor of talking. Therese let her talk unchecked.
It seemed to do her good to chatter about Belle and Lou, and Jack
Dawson, and about her home life, of which she unknowingly made such a
pitiable picture to her listener.

"I guess David never let on to you about himself," she said moodily,
having come back to the sore that rankled: the dread that Therese had
laid all the blame of the rupture on her shoulders.

"You're mistaken, Mrs. Hosmer. It was a knowledge of his own
short-comings that prompted your husband to go back and ask your
forgiveness. You must grant, there's nothing in his conduct now that
you could reproach him with. And," she added, laying her hand gently
on Fanny's arm, "I know you'll be strong, and do your share in this
reconciliation--do what you can to please him."

Fanny flushed uneasily under Therese's appealing glance.

"I'm willing to do anything that David wants," she replied, "I made up
my mind to that from the start. He's a mighty good husband now, Mrs.
Laferm. Don't mind what I said about him. I was afraid you thought
that--"

"Never mind," returned Therese kindly, "I know all about it. Don't
worry any farther over what I may think. I believe in you and in him,
and I know you'll both be brave and do what's right."

"There isn't anything so very hard for David to do," she said,
depressed with a sense of her inadequate strength to do the task which
she had set herself. "He's got no faults to give up. David never did
have any faults. He's a true, honest man; and I was a coward to say
those things about him."

Melicent and Gregoire were coming across the lawn to join the two, and
Fanny, seeing them approach, suddenly chilled and wrapt herself about
in her mantle of reserve.

"I guess I better go," she