"Don't you think he is in love with her?" blundered Helen, who had not sufficiently recovered from her astonishment to be very wise in Jean's behalf.
The answer was incisive:
"I do not."
The hot tears rushed to Helen's eyes.
"Oh, my poor little Jean!"
Miss Stuart turned away and, to save herself, spoke harshly:
"For Heaven's sake, Helen, don't cry. It is such a weak thing to do."
The sharp words brought Helen suddenly to a realization of what she had done in thus accepting, without demur, Miss Stuart's statement in regard to Jean. Too late she remembered that it was little short of disloyalty to discuss the subject with an outsider; an outsider, moreover, who had never made any pretense of liking her sister. She resolved to retrieve herself if possible, and answered not a little proudly:
"I am sorry I offended you, Lillian. We often differ in our opinions as to what is weak and what is not."
"Not often, but always," Lillian broke in with a disagreeable laugh.