Nannie dropped down into a chair, and tried to get her wits
together. If Elizabeth had broken with David, why, then, of
course, she could marry Blair; but why should she marry him right
away? "It isn't--decent!" said Nannie. And when did she break
with David? Only day before yesterday she was expecting to marry
him. "It is horrible!" said Nannie; and her recoil of disgust for
a moment included Blair. But the habit of love made her instant
with excuses: "It's worse in Elizabeth than in him. Mamma will
say so, too." Then she felt a shock of terror: "Mamma!" She
smoothed out the letter, crumpled in her shaking hand, and read
it again: "'I want you to tell her--' Oh, I _can't!_" Nannie
said; "'it will be easier for her to have it come from you--'
And what about me?" she thought, with sudden, unwonted
bitterness; "it won't be 'easy' for me."

She began to take off her things; then realized that she was
shivering. The few minutes of stirring the fire which was
smoldering under a great lump of coal between the brass jambs of
the grate, gave her the momentary relief of occupation; but when
she sat down in the shifting firelight, and held her trembling
hands toward the blaze, the shame and fright came back again.
"Poor David!" she said; but even as she said it she defended her
brother; "if Elizabeth had broken with him, of course Blair had a
right to marry her. But how _could_ Elizabeth! I can never
forgive her!" Nannie thought, wincing with disgust. "To be
engaged to David one day, and marry Blair the next!--Oh, Blair
ought not to have done it," she said, involuntarily; and hid her
face in her hands. But it was so intolerable to her to blame him,
that she drove her mind back to Elizabeth's vulgarity; she could
bear what had happened if she thought of Blair as a victim and