Mrs. Cary stood there thunderstruck, her mouth open, her eyes wide with alarm. For one moment she was incapable of reasoning out this catastrophe. She had never seen Beatrice cry--her tears, because of their rarity, were as terrible as a man's, and could not be explained away by nerves or fatigue. This was something else. Mrs. Cary crossed the room. She laid a fat, trembling hand on her daughter's shoulder. "Beaty, what's the matter?" she asked uneasily. "What is it? Are you ill?--or--or--Beaty!"--a light dawning across her dull face--"good heavens! you don't love that man?" There was no answer. After a long moment, Mrs. Cary's hand fell to her side. "You couldn't!" she muttered. "It wouldn't do. Think of what people would say! Our position!" Still no answer. She turned and stumbled toward the door. "I will tell the captain--you are ill," she said. Beatrice did not move. BOOK II CHAPTER I BUILDING THE CATHEDRAL The pretty little drawing-room was already in half darkness. Travers went to the window and, leaning his shoulder lazily against the casement, began to sort out and open the letters that had been lying on the tea-table waiting for him. "One from the Colonel, Lois," he said, after a moment's perusal. "No news in particular. He is down with a touch of fever, and the whole regiment is camping out without him. Stafford's marriage still hanging fire. Silly girl! What's she waiting for, in the name of conscience?" Lois looked up from her duties at the table. "They have been engaged over a year," she said. "As long as we have been engaged and married," he answered with an affectionate smile. "How long is that, little woman? About eighteen months, eh? They don't either of them seem in much of a hurry." He went on reading, only stretching out his hand mechanically as she brought him his second cup of tea. Lois remained at his side, her eyes fixed thoughtfully, almost hungrily, on the torn envelope which lay on the floor at his feet. "Why did you call Beatrice Cary a silly girl?" she asked at last. "It never struck me that she was silly." "She wasn't, but she will be if she doesn't hold Stafford fast." A shadow passed over the face still turned to the floor. "Is Stafford--so--so desirable?" "His money is, dear child, and the Carys may need money in the near future." "I thought they were rich?" "Their money is in the mine." "But the mine is to be successful?" He smiled in good-natured amusement at her persistency. "Have you ever heard of a mine that wasn't to be successful? If you wait a moment, I will tell you the latest news. Here's a note from the Rajah."