“There,” said Mrs. Chase, immensely reassured. “I knew it couldn’t be that. I always knew you and Joan.... I said to Mrs. Hullis to-night that you and Joan were friendly as ever. She’s a nice girl, Wint. I don’t see why you don’t get married right away. Your father and I were married before--” Wint said, persistently bringing her back to the point: “I don’t want to talk about Joan, either, mother. It’s Hetty.” “Well, I should think you would want to talk about Joan,” Mrs. Chase declared. “She’s worth talking about. I’m sure she wouldn’t like it very much to know you didn’t want to talk about her, Wint. She--” “Mother,” Wint insisted. “Hetty needs our help. I want you to--” Mrs. Chase looked at him with a face that had suddenly turned white and cold. She put one trembling hand to her throat. “Wint?” she asked, in a husky whisper. “What’s the matter with Hetty? What are you talking about? What is the--” “Hetty’s going to have a little baby,” said Wint gently. Mrs. Chase exclaimed: “Wint! You’re not.... You haven’t.... It isn’t you?” “No, no,” Wint said impatiently. “Of course not. I--” “The shameless girl!” his mother cried, all her alarm turning into anger. “The shameless hussy. In my house. I declare--” “Please,” her son protested. His mother got up. “She sha’n’t sleep another night under my roof,” she declared. “I never thought to live to--” “Mother,” said Wint, so sternly that his mother stopped in the doorway. “Come back,” he told her. And she obeyed him, protesting weakly. “Sit down,” he said. “Hetty needs our help. Don’t you understand?” When a wolf is injured, his own pack pulls him down; when a crow is hurt, his fellows of the flock peck him to death relentlessly; but wolf and crow are merciful compared to womankind. There is no deeper instinct in woman than that which condemns the sister who has strayed. It is true that, in many women, the compassion overpowers the cruelty of wrath. But Mrs. Chase was a very simple person, elemental, a woman and nothing more. She sat down at Wint’s command; but she said implacably: “I won’t have her in the house, Wint. A girl like that. I should think you’d be ashamed to stand up for her. A shameless, worthless thing.... You can talk all you’re a mind to, but I’m going to send her packing. You and your father have your own way, most of the time, but this is once that I’m going to have mine. I always knew she was too pretty for any good. Pretty, and impudent, and all. I won’t have her--” Wint asked: “Hasn’t she worked hard enough for you? Done her work well? Tried to do what you wanted?” “Course she’s done her work, or I wouldn’t have kept her. That hasn’t a thing to do with it, Wint. I’m surprised at you, standing up for her. I told Mrs. Hullis, only the other day, that she was too pretty for her own good. I might have known she would get into trouble. The nasty little--”