I'm not sure that it is your duty
to put ideas into her mind when you can't be quite certain that she has
entertained them."

"I should be greatly astonished if she hadn't," said the lady drily.

Hastings made a little whimsical gesture. "Oh," he said, "you'll no
doubt do what you think wisest. In a general way, when you come to me
for advice you have made your mind up, and only expect me to tell you
that you're right."

Mrs. Hastings thought over the matter for another hour or two. For one
thing, Agatha's quiet manner puzzled her, and she did not know that the
girl had spent one night in an agony of anger and humiliation, and had
then become sensible of a relief that she was ashamed of. There was,
however, no doubt that while she blamed herself for it, and in some
degree for what had happened, she did feel relief. She was sitting
alone for the time being beside the stove in a shadowy room while the
light died off the snowy prairie outside, when Mrs. Hastings came
softly in and sat down beside her.

"My dear," she said, "it's rather difficult to speak of, but that
little scene at the station must have hurt you."

Agatha looked at her quietly and searchingly, but there was only
sympathy in her face, and she leaned forward impulsively.

"Oh," she said, "it hurt me horribly, because I feel it was my fault.
I was the cause of it."

"How could that be?"

"If I had only been kinder to him he would, perhaps, never have thought
of her. I must have made it clear that he jarred upon me. I drove
him"--and Agatha turned her face away, while her voice grew a trifle
strained--"into that woman's arms. No doubt she was ready to make the
most of the opportunity."

Mrs. Hastings decided that the girl's scorn and disgust which had
prompted the last outbreak were perfectly natural, but they were, as it
happened, not quite warranted.

"In the first place," she said, "I think you had better read this note."

Agatha took it from her, and there was light enough left to show that
the blood had crept into her face when she laid it down again. For
almost a minute she sat very still.

"It is a great relief to know that I was wrong--in one respect, but you
must not think I hated this girl because Gregory had preferred her to
me," she said at length. "When the first shock had passed, there was
an almost horrible satisfaction in feeling that he had released me--at
any cost. I suppose I shall always be ashamed of that."

Sh