Ray laughed as she spoke, and May joined in; the two girls were very fairly intimate by this time, for May had never dropped her friends in the town since those summer days when the friendship had grown and flourished.
“She is a nice girl,” said Ray, as she and Oscar drove away. “I once began to think I might have her for a sister-in-law, but I don’t think that is going to come off. Indeed, I almost hope not! Cyril is not half good enough for her!”
Oscar was silent; the subject of Cyril was painful to him. Ray glanced at him, and then said suddenly—
“Oscar, North has told me something about how things stand; he has told me more than the rest know. I have an awful fear that Cyril is worse than any of us have ever thought! Sometimes I am quite miserable about it, and you getting the blame in a way. It is too bad!”
“I think people have been very kind to me,” said Oscar slowly, “and we do not know anything against Cyril.”
“We know he was a coward once, and told a lie to screen himself! That was quite bad enough. Oscar, I sometimes feel that a man who could do all that could do much worse if the temptation were strong enough. North says the same.”
“North is a very generous fellow—a very fine fellow!” cried Oscar, with sudden enthusiasm; “and I hope he is going to get his reward—some day!”
“His reward? What do you mean?” asked Ray quickly.
“Didn’t it come into your head to-day? It did into mine. I think Miss Lawrence may be, perhaps, your sister-in-law still!”
“Oh,” cried Ray, with wide-open eyes, “do you really think so? I never thought of such a thing! Yet really it might be. But what would Cyril say?”