The mother hesitated an instant, then she put the paper on the girl's lap and pointed to the list of passengers on the Scythia.
"Mr. and Mrs. Rodney Lawrence," Carolyn read, then she read again. She heard her mother saying:
"It's the same steamer and the same date that you were going with him."
Mrs. Ffolliott was not thinking of grammar as she spoke.
Carolyn looked up, a hard light in her eyes.
"Only he married Prudence instead of me," she said. "It was a fine plan, wasn't it? No one could have made a better. Of course people hated to tell us. Oh!"
She dropped the paper and clasped her hands. In a moment the hard look had left her face. Her lips quivered as she said, "He always loved her; he never loved me. No, he never loved me. Do you suppose he'll be happy with her?"
"I'm sure I hope not," was the angry reply, "and I don't see how it's possible, either. The scoundrel! The ungrateful wretch!"
"Oh, mamma!"
"You don't mean to say you're going to defend him, Carolyn Ffolliott!"