Venna's awakening came simultaneously with her aunt's rejuvenating engagement announcement, which occurred one week after Dr. Hansom's proposal.
As soon as Hadly returned, Venna lost no time in asking him for an explanation of Miss Hedgeway's visit.
At first he denied knowing the woman, but his nervousness convinced his wife that he was not telling the truth.
"Will," she said, suddenly indignant, "if you do not tell me the truth, I shall find it out myself. What is this woman to you?"
He had never seen scorn in her eyes before and it was confoundedly unpleasant. Quickly he decided there was only one way—to make a clean breast of it.
"Yes, Venna," he said, frankly, "I have lied to you,—because I didn't like to destroy your innocent trust in me. She's nothing to me now, but she was an escapade of the past. I treated her fair enough—she always had money of her own—never wanted for anything. I didn't deceive her—she went into it with her eyes open like all those women do—I never deceived any woman. It was just a case of give and take. She's meaner than I thought to rake up a man's past before his wife's eyes. As a rule, they don't do that sort of thing."
He paused for a moment, but Venna made no remark. She was earnestly listening to his every word.
"Now, my dear," he continued more confidently, "you have, of course, always been sheltered so by your father, that you are ignorant of life in many respects. Please don't think your husband a monstrosity. I'm no better than the next man—no worse, either. I've lived in the world, seen all sides of it, too, but that is why I am all the more able to appreciate a girl like you—by contrast, you know, dear."
"I suppose, then, there were other women, too?" Venna demanded in a sharp, unnatural voice.
"Don't use that tone, Venna," he said impatiently. "It isn't like you. It's not becoming. Yes, I'll treat you fair and hide nothing. My extreme youth was rather wild, but that's all past now. From the day I first called upon you, I've led a clean, straight life—that was my duty toward you."