Carolina looked from one to the other of them anxiously, in the short silence which followed.
"I understand," said Mr. Howard, slowly. "I think--I--understand!"
"And this afternoon," Carolina went on, "I received a most extraordinary letter from him, dated at London, making me a present of Guildford."
"Making you a p-present of it!" cried Kate. "What g-gigantic impudence!"
"He did it to irritate her into taking some notice of him!" declared Mrs. Howard.
"H-he did it to show her how h-helpless she is!" cried Kate. "He knows she has n-no money. But I think I see him hanging around until he wears Carolina out. That is his g-game! A n-nice step-m-mother you w-would make to those two children of his,--and the l-little one a cripple!"
"Children!" cried Carolina, turning white. "I never knew that there were any! He never mentioned them."
"Oh, h-he didn't want to d-discourage you t-too much," cried Kate.
"And one of them--the little one--a cripple, did you say?"
The eager pity in Carolina's voice frightened Kate. She looked at Carolina in wonder. The girl was leaning forward in her chair, her lips parted, her eyes shining, her cheeks blazing. Kate felt physically sick as the thought flashed through her mind that perhaps this altruistic pity might rush her friend into the marriage with Colonel Yancey, which even Guildford had been unable to do.