She carried her off before there was time for further controversy. There should be no more ill words said than she could help. It is hard to unsay harsh things. It is much better to prevent their being uttered at all. There would doubtless be enough said at best, but Dolly felt that her prompt action had probably prevented a few bitter flings anyway. At the door of her room Margaret detained her. Dolly had chattered all of the way down the hall. Margaret had not uttered a word. Now she looked steadily at Dolly. "Are you not laboring under some delusion or excitement? I had better give you the details of our family history before I go in." "Nonsense! I have known your history, as I said, since the Christmas holidays. What does it matter? Come in, and Beth shall make tea for us." "But do tell me how you knew." "I will tell you everything, only come in," and Dolly gave her a good-natured push into the room where the others were waiting for them, for Mary and Miss Van Gerder had already returned with permission for Margaret to change rooms, if she desired. "I sincerely hope that you do desire, for I really want you, Margaret." "You are very good, Miss Van Gerder." "Now stop right there, Margaret. Whether you room with me or not, you shall not be formal. My name is Constance, and you know it very well." "I never called you by it," said Margaret steadily. "I hope you will now. Please don't spoil the entire year for me. If you will consent to share my rooms, and let me make up for my thoughtlessness in so far as I may, you will be doing me a great favor." "I do not see why you should not have said what you did; it was the truth, and there was no reason why it should not have been told. You must not feel that you owe me any reparation. That is not true. So far as I am concerned, while the present moment may be a little disagreeable in many respects, I cannot altogether regret what has occurred. Mother, naturally, will feel sorry, but there cannot be further disclosures, for I filled in, for Miss Dunbar's benefit, all the details that you had omitted. She knows that Father was your uncle's coachman, and--" "And he was a good one, and we all liked him. What a tempest in a teapot this is! Now be sensible. You are going to be my room-mate as a favor to me. I beg it. That is settled. I shall see that Patrick comes and moves your trunks this afternoon, and as soon as we have had some of Miss Newby's tea, we are all going over to your room to help you carry the lighter things. There is no need to bother packing those." "Of course not," said Beth readily. "We shall be delighted to help you. With five of us at work, we shall have everything moved in half an hour." Margaret looked only half-satisfied. She had pride, too. If Constance Van Gerder was taking her in a spirit of self-sacrifice, she had no intention of becoming her room-mate. Things would not be pleasant, but she could stand it, even if she _were_ ostracized.