She half laughed, a sort of sickly laugh. “No, Billy. Not father--he--Jack--Dr. Denbigh. Oh, you know. Billy! You heard what mother said.” “O--o--oh!” I answered her, in a contemplating slowness. “Oh--that's so! Do you mind if he gets engaged to Aunt Elizabeth?” “Do--I--MIND?” said Peggy, as if she was astonished. “Mind? Billy, I'll love him till I die. It would break my heart.” “Oh no, it wouldn't,” I told her, because I thought I'd sort of comfort her. “That's truck. You can't break muscles just by loving. But I know how you feel, because that's the way I felt when father gave that Irish setter to the Tracys.” She went on chattering her teeth as if she was cold, so I put the table-cover around her. “You dear Billy,” she said. But that was stuff. “I wouldn't bother,” I said. “Likely he's forgotten about you. I often forget things myself.” That didn't seem to comfort her, for she began to sob out loud. “Oh, now. Peg, don't cry,” I observed to her. “He probably likes Aunt Elizabeth better than you, don't you see? I think she's prettier, myself. And, of course, she's a lot cleverer. She tells funny stories and makes people laugh; you never do that--You're a good sort, but quiet and not much fun, don't you see? Maybe he got plain tired of you.” But instead of being cheered up by my explaining things, she put her head on the table and just yowled. Girls are a queer species. “You're cruel, cruel!” she sobbed out, and you bet that surprised me--me that was comforting her for all I was worth! I patted her on the back of the neck, and thought hard what other soothings I could squeeze out. Then I had an idea. “Tell you what, Peg,” I said, “it's too darned bad of Dr. Denbigh, if he just did it for meanness, when you haven't done anything to him. But maybe he got riled because you begged him so to let you be engaged to him. Of course a man doesn't want to be bothered--if he wants to get engaged he wants to, and if he doesn't want to he doesn't, and that's all. I think probably Dr. Denbigh was afraid you'd be at him again when you came home, so he hurried up and snatched Aunt Elizabeth.” Peggy lifted her face and stared at me. She was a sight, with her eyes all bunged up and her cheeks sloppy. “You think he IS engaged to her, do you, Billy?” she asked me. Her voice sort of shook, and I thought I'd better settle it for her one way or the other, so I nodded and said, “Wouldn't be surprised,” and then, if you'll believe it, that girl got angry--at ME. “Billy, you're brutal--you're like any other man-thing--cold-blooded and faithless--and--” And she began choking--choking again, and I was disgusted and cleared out.