And it had all been so innocent, too! What single compromising word, even, had ever been spoken! Might not the most blameless of women have had just such a pretty little romantic friendship, without dream of harm? As for the frantic things she had thought and said on that awful forenoon after the discovery, she strove to put them away from her memory, as born of a hysterical, wholly irresponsible state. But they would come back, no matter how often banished. Then, too--perhaps worst of all, for honest John seemed to lay particular stress upon it--was the terrible declaration she had made to Annie. About this there could be no self-deception. She would not pretend to herself that this had been done through any but revengeful? spiteful motives--pure cruelty, in fact. But was she to be thus coolly pushed aside, her romance shattered, her dear day-dream dissipated--and not to be justified in striking back? This conceited boy--she was able thus to think of Seth now, in his absence, and in the light of the affront she felt he had put upon her--and this country school-teacher, to come billing and cooing in the very hour of her supreme excitement--did they not deserve just what they had received? After all, her words had done no permanent harm.. Doubtless by this time they had all been cleared up. And if Miss Annie _did_ suffer a little, what better was she than other people, to be free all her life from heartaches? But then came a mental picture of Annie’s calm, sweet, lightful face transfixed with speechless horror at the brutal words--and after it, close and searching, the question: “Why should I have stabbed Annie? She was always kindness itself to me. Was it not heartless to make that poor girl suffer?” And there followed in her mind, as an echo of her first exclamation to the mirror--that had gathered reverberating force from all the thoughts we have striven to trace--the haunting cry: “A wicked woman!” Afternoon came, and the battle still went on. Bitter condemnation of her own conduct struggled with angry pleas of grievance against others, and the conflict wearied her into what threatened to be a sick headache. The idea of getting out into the open air and seeking relief in a walk, which had been dormantly in her mind all day, finally took form, and led her outside the homestead for the first time since her husband’s death.