"Yes. I think my uncle Major Belwether chose you as his august mouthpiece for that little sermon on the dangers of heredity--the danger of being ignorant concerning what women of my race had done--before I came into the world they found so amusing."
"I told you several things," returned Mrs. Ferrall composedly. "Your uncle thought it best for you to know."
"Yes. The marriage vows sat lightly upon some of my ancestors, I gather. In fact," she added coolly, "where the women of my race loved they usually found the way--rather unconventionally. There was, if I understood you, enough of divorce, of general indiscretion and irregularity to seriously complicate any family tree and coat of arms I might care to claim--"
"Sylvia!"
The girl lifted her pretty bare shoulders. "I'm sorry, but could I help it? Very well; all I can do is to prove a decent exception. Very well; I'm doing it, am I not?--practically scared into the first solidly suitable marriage offered--seizing the unfortunate Howard with both hands for fear he'd get away and leave me alone with only a queer family record for company! Very well! Now then, I want to ask you why everybody, in my case, didn't go about with sanctimonious faces and dolorous mien repeating: 'Her grand-mother eloped! Her mother ran away. Poor child, she's doomed! doomed!'"
"Sylvia, I--"
"Yes--why didn't they? That's the way they talk about that boy out there!" She swept a rounded arm toward the veranda.
"Yes, but he has already broken loose, while you--"
"So did I--nearly! Had it not been for you, you know well enough I might have run away with that dreadful Englishman at Newport! For I adored him--I did! I did! and you know it. And look at my endless escapes from compromising myself! Can you count them?--all those indiscretions when mere living seemed to intoxicate me that first winter--and only my uncle and you to break me in!"
"In other words," said Mrs. Ferrall slowly, "you don't think Mr. Siward is getting what is known as a square deal?"
"No, I don't. Major Belwether has already hinted--no, not even that--but has somehow managed to dampen my pleasure in Mr. Siward."
Mrs. Ferrall considered the girl beside her--now very lovely and flushed in her suppressed excitement.
"After all," she said, "you are going to marry somebody else. So why become quite so animated about a man you may never again see?"
"I shall see him if I desire to!"
"Oh!"
"I am not taking the black veil, am I?" asked the girl hotly.
"Only the wedding veil, dear. But after all your husband ought to have something to suggest concerning a common visiting list--"