as_ so cruel. When he
first turned to meet them, you'd have thought he was a man sentenced to
death, or under some dreadful spell or other; and while he was walking
up and down listening to that horrible comical old woman,--the young
lady didn't talk much,--and trying to make straight answers to her, and
to look as if I didn't exist, it was the most ridiculous thing in the
world."

"How queer you are, Kitty!"

"Yes; but you needn't think I didn't feel it. I seemed to be like two
persons sitting there, one in agony, and one just coolly watching it.
But O," she broke out again while Fanny held her closer in her arms,
"how could he have done it, how could he have acted so towards me; and
just after I had begun to think him so generous and noble! It seems too
dreadful to be true." And with this Kitty kissed her cousin and they had
a little cry together over the trust so done to death; and Kitty dried
her eyes, and bade Fanny a brave good-night, and went off to weep again,
upon her pillow.

But before that, she called Fanny to her door, and with a smile breaking
through the trouble of her face, she asked, "How do you suppose he got
back? I never thought of it before."

"_Oh!_" cried Mrs. Ellison with profound disgust, "I hope he had to
_walk_ back. But I'm afraid there were only too many chances for him to
ride. I dare say he could get a calash at the hotel there."

Kitty had not spoken a word of reproach to Fanny for her part in
promoting this hapless affair; and when the latter, returning to her own
room, found the colonel there, she told him the story and then began to
discern that she was not without credit for Kitty's fortunate escape, as
she called it.

"Yes," said the colonel, "under exactly similar circumstances she'll
know just what to expect another time, if that's any comfort."

"It's a _great_ comfort," retorted Mrs. Ellison; "you can't find out
what the world is, too soon, I can tell you; and if I hadn't maneuvered
a little to bring them together, Kitty might have gone off with some
lingering fancy for him; and think what a misfortune that would have
been!"

"Horrible."

"And now, she'll not have a single regret for him."

"I should think not," said the colonel; and he spoke in a tone of such
dejection, that it went to his wife's heart more than any reproach of
Kitty's could have done. "You're all right, and nobody blames you,
Fanny; but if _you_ think it's well for such a girl as Kitty to find out