“What do you mean?” demanded Philip, now really alarmed.
“I mean”—(sob)—“that I ought not to have married”—(sob). “I didn’t know my own mind!” (More sobs.)
Philip put the girl from him and dabbed his waistcoat with his handkerchief.
“Look here, Phyllis,” he said firmly, “you did a very silly thing in inducing Captain Arbuthnot to marry you; but it was only silly. It was not a crime. It will be a crime if you are false to the man you compelled to act in a way against which I am sure his sense of honor revolted. The one thing you have to do now, is to stand firmly by the vows you made and never let that unfortunate man find out what a shallow creature he married. What has changed you all at once? you who were so eager for letters?”
“I don’t know,” answered Phyllis crossly. “How should I know? You see, Charlie is such a long way off, and I have scarcely heard from him and—oh, he doesn’t seem so nice as he did, now I can’t see him—and—and, oh, I don’t know! Charlie ought not to have listened to me. He is heaps older than I am! I can’t help it, Philip, can I, if I find out I made a mistake?”
Philip was stern and silent. Anger filled his heart as he thought of the gallant young soldier out in India. But he had some pity, too, for Phyllis—fickle, lovable Phyllis!
“Don’t look so angry, Philip,” pleaded Phyllis, “I have something else to tell you, and if you turn on me I shall be desperate! I love Dan—yes, I love him! Now hate and despise me if you dare! If you do, if you throw me over, you may be sorry—after!”
“This is awful!” groaned Philip. “I never dreamed it was as bad as this. It is downright wicked of you! I must say it, even if it hurts you. You must have seen this coming. You could have stopped it if you had any sense of right, and even decency.”
Her next words came calmly. “Philip, have I ever been even a little free with Mr. Webster since he came back? I never laugh and chat with him; I am never alone with him; I am acting as a wife should. But I am miserable—miserable! Won’t you pity me a little?”
“Poor little girl!” said Philip soothingly. “Yes, I have noticed that you never flirt with Dan. There, don’t begin to cry again!”