"Because I've married a Fairy Prince," she said.
Mrs. Ledley stared at the little ring for a moment in absolute silence, then she broke out tremblingly:
"Faith! It's not true! You're just teasing me! It's just a joke! You couldn't have got married without telling me first! Why, there's nobody who would ask you!" She caught the girl by both shoulders and peered into her face.
"Faith!" she urged again passionately.
Faith laughed tremulously. Somehow she had not expected her news to be received so tragically; her old fears came surging back. Peg's words echoed once more in her ears.
"What do you think he wants with a wife like you? With all his money he could have anybody he likes...."
To drown the insistence of that voice she broke out into hurried explanations.
"It's the man who brought me home in his car that day I was ill. He's ever so rich, and we were married this morning. Oh, mother, don't look like that; it's all right—indeed, it is! You saw him. You saw him drive me up to the gate.... He's so good—so kind; he's going to help us all. He's going to buy you a house in the country and send the twins to school. He's given me ever so much money already—look!"
With shaking hands she dragged the money from her frock and put it into her mother's lap.
"You can have it all—all!" she went on eagerly. "It's for you that I wanted it. Not for myself. Oh, mother, why don't you speak? Why don't you say something?"