"Katherine, control yourself. I will not have you upsetting yourself
like this. You'll have another of those awful headaches. Leave it all to
me, dear. Something _must_ be done. We can't stand by and see dear Edith
betrayed. She's so happy and so trusting. And, besides all that, we'd be
dragged into the scandal. I--"

"And the Odell-Carneys too. Heavens!"

"It _must_ be stopped! I shall go at once to Mrs. Odell-Carney and tell
her what we have discovered. It will prepare her. She is the best friend
I have, and I know she will suggest a way to put a stop to this thing
before it is too late. We must--"

"Why don't you speak to father about it first?"

"Your father! My dear, what would be the use? He wouldn't believe it. He
never does. I wonder if dear Mrs. Odell-Carney is in her room." The
estimable lady fluttered loosely toward the door. Her daughter called to
her.

"If I were you, I'd wait a day or two, mamma." She was quite cool and
very calculating now. "It may adjust itself, and--and if we can just
drop a hint that we suspect, they won't be so--so--well, so public about
it. I _know_--I just _know_ that Freddie will be disgusted with her if
he sees how she's carrying on." Katherine suddenly had realised that
good might spring from evil, after all.

In the mean time, young Mr. Ulstervelt was having troubles and
disappointments of his own. Persistent effort to make love to Miss
Fowler had finally resulted in an almost peremptory command to desist.