strict confidence: I suspect that you're rather ashamed of your
grievance, if you have any. I suspect it's nothing at all."

MISS GALBRAITH, very sternly at first, with a rising hysterical
inflection: "Nothing, Allen! Do you call it NOTHING, to have Mrs.
Dawes come out with all that about your accident on your way up the
river, and ask me if it didn't frighten me terribly to hear of it,
even after it was all over; and I had to say you hadn't told me a
word of it? 'Why, Lucy!'"--angrily mimicking Mrs. Dawes, "'you must
teach him better than that. I make Mr. Dawes tell me everything.'
Little simpleton! And then to have them all laugh--Oh, dear, it's
too much!"

MR. RICHARDS: "Why, my dear Lucy" -

MISS GALBRAITH, interrupting him: "I saw just how it was going to
be, and I'm thankful, THANKFUL that it happened. I saw that you
didn't care enough for me to take me into your whole life; that you
despised and distrusted me, and that it would get worse and worse to
the end of our days; that we should grow farther and farther apart,
and I should be left moping at home, while you ran about making
confidantes of other women whom you considered WORTHY of your
confidence. It all FLASHED upon me in an INSTANT; and I resolved to
break with you, then and there; and I did, just as soon as ever I
could go to my room for your things, and I'm glad,--yes,--Oh, hu, hu,
hu, hu, hu!--SO glad I did it!"

MR. RICHARDS, grimly: "Your joy is obvious. May I ask" -

MISS GALBRAITH: "Oh, it wasn't the FIRST proof you had given me how