“Perhaps you’re right,” said Royall, looking uneasy and remembering that Daisie had betrayed such interest in Dallas that he had been forced into no end of fibs to destroy the romance with which she had invested him. “Perhaps you’re right. Better let well enough alone,” he agreed, and went away to buy the engagement ring. But chance or fate is above us all and our petty scheming, as she found out that night at the dance, and in consequence she altered her plan of ignoring Daisie Bell. What Annette had told her about Dallas going the next morning to beg Daisie’s pardon for the accident made her wild; hence her early call at the cottage and her malicious blurting out of the engagement. When she found out how far matters had progressed between the lovers, she realized that she had scarcely called soon enough, but she was thankful, anyway, that she had driven Dallas away in wrath, and trusted to her woman’s wit to make the breach final. Daisie’s wet eyes and quivering red mouth did not make her the least sorry for the wretched girl; she only persevered in her denunciations: “What will Royall say when he hears of this shocking flirtation? He will want to break the engagement.” “That is what I wish him to do!” returned Daisie courageously. “Well, I never!” sighed the little widow; and added: “Why did you accept him, then, if you didn’t want him, Miss Bell?” “I will tell you the truth, may I, Mrs. Fleming?” cried Daisie timidly, dashing the tears from her eyes, and blushing with shame as she continued: “I was persuaded into that promise when my heart wasn’t in it, because--because--first, Aunt Alice was wild with foolish joy because I had caught such a rich beau, and kept begging me over and over to accept him. And then, too, Mr. Sherwood was so much in love with me, and begged me so hard that I would marry him. At first I wouldn’t think of it, for--well, I had fallen in love with Mr. Dallas Bain at first sight, and as long as there was any hope of winning him I wouldn’t have listened to any one else--never! But he--Mr. Sherwood, I mean--must have suspected my preference, for he told me things that I found out to-day weren’t true--for instance, that Mr. Bain was engaged to you; but when I asked him about it to-day he laughed at the very idea!” Mrs. Fleming winced with rage and pain, but the unconscious girl went on eagerly, pathetically, in her earnest self-exculpation: