'Personally I do not know it; but I do not understand Wilmet's lowering her standard to excuse disobedience and unfaithfulness.'
'Come along, Clem,' entreated Geraldine; 'it is all most sad and grievous, but the more we say about it the worse we make it;' and she succeeded in dragging him out without a defensive reply from Wilmet.
Presently she was sought out by Wilmet herself, to say, 'Cherry, do you know, there's Felix looking as pale as when he fainted yesterday.'
She could believe it; but she only ventured to ask, 'Did he say anything?'
'No, only to answer "No," when I asked if I hurt him as I was doing his arm. Cherry, can you tell me, or do you know—does this touch him for himself?'
Cherry could only look up with eyes swimming.
'How blind I have been! Oh! if I had not come and told it so abruptly, before every one!'
'Perhaps he liked the unconsciousness better!'
'Were you in his confidence, or is it guess?'
'Guessing at first; but we had a very few words about it when he came home from consulting Dr. Lee last summer.'