Mrs. Ayres took the girl by her two slender shoulders; she bent her merciful, loving face close to the younger one, distraught, and full of longing, primeval passion. "Lucy," she whispered, "your mother never lost sight of--anything." Lucy turned deadly white. She stared back at her mother. "You thought perhaps he was in love with Miss Farrel, didn't you?" Mrs. Ayres said, in a very low whisper. Lucy nodded, still staring with eyes of horrified inquiry at her mother. "You had seen him with her?" "Ever so many times, walking, and he took her to ride, and I saw him coming out of the hotel. I thought--" "Listen, Lucy." Mrs. Ayres's whisper was hardly audible. "Mother made some candy and sent it to Miss Farrel. She--never had any that anybody else made. It--was candy that would not hurt anybody that she had." Lucy's face lightened as if with some veritable illumination. "Mother perhaps ought not to have let you think--as you did, so long," said Mrs. Ayres, "but she thought perhaps it was best, and, Lucy, mother has begun to realize that it was. Now you think, perhaps, he is in love with this other girl, don't you?" "They are living in the same house," returned Lucy, in a stifled shriek, "and--and--I found out this afternoon that she--she is in love with him. And she is so pretty, and--" Lucy sobbed wildly. "Mother has been watching every minute," said Mrs. Ayres. "Mother, I haven't killed him?" "No, dear. Mother made the candy." Lucy sobbed and trembled convulsively. Mrs. Ayres stroked her hair until she was a little quieter, then she spoke. "Lucy," she said, "the time has come for you to listen to mother, and you must listen." Lucy looked up at her with her soft, terrible eyes. "You are not in love with this last man," said Mrs. Ayres, quietly. "You were not in love with any of the others. It is all because you are a woman, and the natural longings of a woman are upon you. The time has come for you to listen and understand. It is right that you should have what you want, but if the will of God is otherwise you must make the best of it. There are other things in life, or it would be monstrous. It will be no worse for you than for thousands of other women who go through life unmarried. You have no excuse to--commit crime or to become a wreck. I tell you there are other things besides that which has taken hold of you, soul and body. There are spiritual things. There is the will of God, which is above the will of the flesh and the will of the fleshly heart. It is for you to behave yourself and take what comes. You are still young, and if you were not there is always room in life for a gift of God. You may yet have what you are crying out for. In the mean time--" Lucy interrupted with a wild cry. "Oh, mother, you will take care of me, you will watch me!" "You need not be afraid, Lucy," said Mrs. Ayres, grimly and tenderly. "I will watch you, and--" She hesitated a moment, then she continued, "If I ever catch you buying that again--"