"Another man! I should think not! How hateful of you, Evelyn! I'm despicable enough, but I love Jacky. There's no other man in the world for me. Of course," she paused, and faintly smiled, as at a soothing recollection, "people admire me. I can't help that, and there's no harm so long as I don't flirt. There's the Squire. I think if I were not married, he might want--but I _am_ married, and it's the honest truth that I've never said a word to a man since our marriage that I shouldn't be willing for Jacky to hear. No! it's not that--" "It's money, then," I said quickly. (So the Squire would "want," would he? Oh, indeed!) "Delphine! you have been getting into debt?" "Oh, how did you guess?" She turned her head over her shoulder, as though afraid some one might overhear. "Oh, Evelyn, nobody knows but you. I think I have been mad. Goodness knows what I expected to happen in the end. I was in a crazy, rebellious mood, tired to death of being dull and careful, and I had a wild spell of extravagance, ordered whatever I wanted, ran up bills in town. I went to your dressmaker. I was sick of making my own clothes, and looking a frump. I'm young, and I'm pretty, I wanted to look nice while I could. Every one said I _did_ look nice; but she is a terror, that woman of yours! I had no idea of the bill!" "You did not ask for estimates in advance?" "How could I? I didn't even know what to order. I just said, `A pretty dress for the afternoon.' `A hat with roses.' `An evening cloak.' Descriptions like that. And there was the habit, too, and little things--oddments. They grow into mountains! And I bought furniture to make my room look pretty and homelike. You remember you said I deserved to have one nice room!" Apparently this extravagance also could be traced to my influence! It was useless to waste any more words. I went straight to the point. "How much?" "Oh!" she started and shivered. "I'm ashamed to say. And now--we are going away, and the bills have to be paid. I'm a new customer, and they keep sending them in. And the house books! They have run on. Jacky gave me some money. I _meant_ to pay them, honestly I did, Evelyn, but somehow the money frittered away till there wasn't enough left. I paid some--but there are others left. Jacky would hate it, if we left the parish in debt." "How much?" I repeated, and she flushed to the roots of her hair. "Over--a hundred! Nearer--_two_, I'm afraid, Evelyn!" It was more than I had expected. I had to make fresh calculations, and revise several plans. Subconsciously, I had known that the trouble was monetary, and had made a special study of my pass book before leaving the flat. "I can let you have a hundred at once, and settle the rest of the bills for you next month, if that will do." She looked at me with tear-filled eyes. "Do you think I deserve it?"