“He’d marry her out of hand, of course. That would give him the Telfair estates, you see. He’s said to be heavily in debt, and the money would be a godsend to him. After that a lot would depend on the girl. If she happened to take his fancy he might be very decent to her. And there’s no denying that she might like the life he would give her. But the chances are against it, and it’s my duty to see that she isn’t tricked into it blindfolded. Here in this forest she couldn’t possibly understand, any more than you can, what a wonderful thing it is to be mistress of the Telfair estates. If she marries Brito she gives up everything without having known that she had it.”
Alagwa was listening earnestly, trying hard to comprehend the new unthought-of phase of life that Jack was discussing. One thing, however, she fastened on.
“But if she refuse to marry him?” she questioned. “If she say she will not make his moccasins nor pound his corn?”
“She wouldn’t refuse. What! An Indian-bred girl, ignorant of everything outside these Ohio forests, refuse to marry a British officer, who came to her with his hands full of gifts? Refusal isn’t worth considering. And if she really should be stubborn he could easily ruin her reputation——”
“Reputation? What is that?”
“It’s—it’s—I’ll be hanged if I know exactly how to explain it so that you can understand. I reckon the Indians don’t bother about it. But in civilization, among white people, a girl can’t travel alone with a man without getting talked about. Brito wouldn’t be likely to stop at trifles. He’d contrive it so that the girl would be compromised and then she’d have to marry him.” Jack stopped; he was a clean-mouthed, clean-hearted young fellow, but he was no prude and he could not understand why he should find it so hard to explain matters to the boy at his side. Nevertheless, when he met Alagwa’s wide, innocent eyes, he stopped in despair, tongue-tied and flushing.
Alagwa was clearly startled. “You mean that if a white girl take the long trail with a man she is comprom—compromised—and that she must marry him or that the sachems and the braves will drive her from the council fires?” she questioned.
“Well—something like that. This girl, in her ignorance, would lose her reputation before she knew she had one. And she’d have to marry him to get it back!”
“But—But if he refuse to marry her. If a man travel with a girl and then not marry her?” A deep red had rushed to Alagwa’s cheeks; she bent down her head to hide it.
Jack shrugged his shoulders. “Brito wouldn’t refuse!” he declared.