Rita thought of the letter to Tom, and all the sympathetic instincts of her nature sprang up to protect Dic, and to save him from Sukey's wicked designs. "Oh," she cried, falling back into her chair, "you surely did not believe me!" "And you do care?" asked Dic, almost stunned by her sudden change of front. Rita's conduct had always been so sedate and sensible that he did not suppose she was possessed of ordinary feminine weaknesses. "Oh, Dic," she replied, "I never thought you would desert me." _In_consistency may also be a jewel. Dic concluded he was an incarnate mistake. Whichever way he turned, he seemed to be wrong. "I desert you?" he exclaimed. "But you returned my ring and did not even answer my letter, and now your scorn--" "What else could you expect?" asked the girl, in a passionate flow of tears. "I don't know what I expected, but I certainly did not expect this," answered Dic, musing on the blessed fault of inconsistency that dwells in every normal woman's breast. "I did not expect this, or I should have acted differently toward her after you returned the ring. I would not have--I--I--God help me!" and he buried his face in his hands. "You would not have done what, Dic? Tell me all." Her heart came to him in his trouble. He had sinned, but he was suffering, and that she could not bear. The low, soft tones of her voice soothed him, and he answered: "I would not have allowed her to believe I intended marrying her. I did not tell her in words that I would, but--I can't tell you. I can't speak." He saw Rita's face turn pale, and though his words almost choked him, he continued, "I suppose I must pay the penalty of my sin." He gently put the girl from him, and went to the window, where he leaned, gazing into the street. She also rose, and stood waiting for him to speak. After a long pause she called his name,-- "Dic!" When he turned she was holding out her arms to him, and the next moment they were round his neck. After a blank hour of almost total silence in the parlor, Miss Tousy came to the door and knocked. She had listened at the door several times during the hour; but, hearing no enlightening words or sounds, she had retreated in good order. Allowing a moment to elapse after knocking, Miss Tousy called:-- "Are you still there?" Rita had been very still there, and was vividly conscious of the fact when Miss Tousy knocked. Going to the door, Rita opened it, saying:-- "Yes, we are still here. I'm ashamed to have kept you out so long." She looked her shame and blushed most convincingly.