ButMrs。Pottingeronlysetherlipsimplacablytogether。“Verywell，tellthemthen，“shesaidrigidly；“tellthemhowyouluredmefrommyhumbledependenceinSanFranciscowiththeprospectofahomewithyou；tellthemhowyoucompelledmetodeceivetheirtrustingheartswithyourwickedfalsehoods；tellthemhowyou——afoundling——borrowedmeforyourmother，mypoordeadhusbandforyourfather，andmademeinventfalsehooduponfalsehoodtotellthemwhileyousatstillandlistened！“
Prospergasped。
“Tellthem，“shewentondeliberately，“thatwhenIwantedtobringmyhelplesschildtoheronlyhome——THEN，onlythen——youdeterminedtobreakyourwordtome，eitherbecauseyoumeanlybegrudgedherthatshareofyourhouse，ortokeepyourmisdeedsfromherknowledge！Tellthemthat，Prossy，dear，andseewhatthey’llsay！“
Prospersankbackinhischairaghast。Inhissuddeninstinctofrevolthehadforgottenthecamp！Heknew，alas，toowellwhattheywouldsay！Heknewthat，addedtotheirindignationathavingbeenduped，theirchivalryandabsurdsentimentwouldriseinarmsagainsttheabandonmentoftwohelplesswomen！
“P’r’apsye’reright，ma’am，“hestammered。“Iwasonlythinkin’，“
headdedfeebly，“howSHE’Dtakeit。“
“She’lltakeitasIwishhertotakeit，“saidMrs。Pottingerfirmly。
“Supposin’，ezthecampdon’tknowher，andIain’tbintalkin’o’
havin’anySISTER，youranherinhereasmyCOUSIN？See？Youbein’heraunt？“
Mrs。Pottingerregardedhimwithcompressedlipsforsometime。
Thenshesaid，slowlyandhalfmeditatively:“Yes，itmightbedone！Shewillprobablybewillingtosacrificehernearerrelationshiptosaveherselffrompassingasyoursister。Itwouldbelessgallingtoherpride，andshewouldn’thavetotreatyousofamiliarly。“
“Yes，ma’am，“saidProsper，toorelievedtonoticetheuncomplimentarynatureofthesuggestion。“AndyeseeIcouldcallher’MissPottinger，’whichwouldcomeeasiertome。“
InitshighresolvetobearwiththeweaknessesofProsper’smother，thecampreceivedthenewsoftheadventofProsper’scousinsolelywithreferencetoitspossibleeffectupontheaunt’shabits，andverylittleothercuriosity。Prosper’sownreticence，theyfelt，wasprobablyduetothetenderageatwhichhehadseparatedfromhisrelations。ButwhenitwasknownthatProsper’smotherhaddriventothehousewithaveryprettygirlofeighteen，therewasaflutterofexcitementinthatimpressionablecommunity。
Prosper，withhisusualshyness，hadevadedanearlymeetingwithher，andwasevenloiteringirresolutelyonhiswayhomefromwork，when，asheapproachedthehouse，tohisdiscomfiturethedoorsuddenlyopened，theyoungladyappearedandadvanceddirectlytowardshim。
Shewasslim，graceful，andprettilydressed，andatanyothermomentProspermighthavebeenimpressedbyhergoodlooks。Butherbrowswereknit，herdarkeyes——inwhichtherewasanunmistakablereminiscenceofMrs。Pottinger——wereglittering，andalthoughshewasapparentlyanticipatingtheirmeeting，itwasevidentlywithnocousinlyinterest。Whenwithinafewfeetofhimshestopped。Prosperwithafeeblesmileofferedhishand。Shesprangback。
“Don’ttouchme！Don’tcomeastepnearerorI’llscream！“
Prosper，stillwithsmilinginanity，stammeredthathewasonly“goin’toshakehands，“andmovedsidewaystowardsthehouse。
“Stop！“shesaid，withastampofherslimfoot。“Staywhereyouare！WemusthaveourtalkoutHERE。I’mnotgoingtowastewordswithyouinthere，beforeHER。“
Prosperstopped。
“Whatdidyoudothisfor？“shesaidangrily。“Howdaredyou？Howcouldyou？Areyouaman，orthefoolshetakesyoufor？“
“WotdidIdoWOTfor？“saidProspersullenly。
“This！Makingmymotherpretendyouwereherson！Bringingherhereamongthesementolivealie！“
“Shewaswillin’，“saidProspergloomily。“Itoldherwhatshehadtodo，andsheseemedtolikeit。“
“Butcouldn’tyouseeshewasoldandweak，andwasn’tresponsibleforheractions？Orwereyouonlythinkingofyourself？“
Thislasttauntstunghim。Helookedup。Hewasnotfacingahelpless，dependentoldwomanashehadbeenthedaybefore，butahandsome，clevergirl，ineverywayhissuperior——andintheright！
InhisvaguesenseofhonoritseemedmorecreditableforhimtofightitoutwithHER。Heburstout:“Ineverthoughtofmyself！
Ineverhadanoldmother；Ineverknewwhatitwastowantone——
butthemendid！AndasIcouldn’tgetoneforthem，Igotoneformyself——toshareandsharealike——Ithoughtthey’dbehappiereftherewasoneinthecamp！“
Therewastheunmistakableaccentoftruthinhisvoice。Therecameafainttwitchingoftheyounggirl’slipsandthedawningofasmile。ButitonlyactedasagoadtotheunfortunateProsper。
“Yekinlaugh，MissPottinger，butit’sGod’struth！ButonethingIdidn’tdo。No！Whenyourmotherwantedtobringyouinhereasmysister，Ikicked！Idid！Andyoukinthankme，forallyourlaughin’，thatyou’restandinginthiscampinyourownname——andain’tnothin’butmycousin。“
“Isupposeyouthoughtyourpreciousfriendsdidn’twantaSISTER
too？“saidthegirlironically。
“Itdon’tmakenomatterwottheywantnow，“hesaidgloomily。
“For，“headded，withsuddendesperation，“it’scometoanend！
Yes！Youandyourmotherwillstayhereaspellsothattheboysdon’tsuspicionnothin’ofeitherofye。ThenI’llgiveitoutthatyou’retakin’yourauntawayonavisit。ThenI’llmakeovertoherathousanddollarsforallthetroubleI’vegivenher，andyou’lltakeheraway。I’vebinafool，MissPottinger，mebbeIamonenow，butwhatI’mdoin’isonthesquare，andit’sgottobedone！“
Helookedsosimpleandsogood——solikeanhonestschoolboyconfessingafaultandabidingbyhispunishment，forallhissixfeetofaltitudeandsilkymustache——thatMissPottingerloweredhereyes。Butsherecoveredherselfandsaidsharply:——
“It’sallverywelltotalkofhergoingaway！ButsheWON’T。Youhavemadeherlikeyou——yes！likeyoubetterthanme——thananyofus！Shesaysyou’retheonlyonewhoevertreatedherlikeamother——asamothershouldbetreated。Shesayssheneverknewwhatpeaceandcomfortwereuntilshecametoyou。There！Don’tstarelikethat！Don’tyouunderstand？Don’tyousee？MustI
tellyouagainthatsheisstrange——that——thatshewasALWAYSqueerandstrange——andqueereronaccountofherunfortunatehabits——
surelyyouknewTHEM，Mr。Riggs！Shequarreledwithusall。I
wenttolivewithmyaunt，andshetookherselfofftoSanFranciscowithasillyclaimagainstmyfather’sshipowners。
Heavenonlyknowshowshemanagedtolivethere；butshealwaysimpressedpeoplewithhermanners，andsomeonealwayshelpedher！
AtlastIbeggedmyaunttoletmeseekher，andItrackedherhere。There！Ifyou’veconfessedeverythingtome，youhavemademeconfesseverythingtoyou，andaboutmyownmother，too！Now，whatistobedone？“
“Whateverisagreeabletoyouisthesametome，MissPottinger，“
hesaidformally。
“Butyoumustn’tcallme’MissPottinger’soloud。Somebodymighthearyou，“shereturnedmischievously。
“Allright——’cousin，’then，“hesaid，withaprodigiousblush。
“Supposin’wegoin。“
Inspiteofthecamp’scuriosity，forthenextfewdaystheydelicatelywithheldtheirusualeveningvisitstoProssy’smother。
“They’llbewantin’totalko’oldtimes，andwedon’twanterbetooprevious，“suggestedWynbrook。Buttheirverdict，whentheyatlastmetthenewcousin，wasunanimous，andtheirpraisesextravagant。Totheirinexperiencedeyessheseemedtopossessallheraunt’sgentilityandprecisionoflanguage，withavivacityandplayfulnessallherown。Inafewdaysthewholecampwasinlovewithher。Yetshedispensedherfavorswithsuchtactfulimpartialityandwithsuchinnocentenjoyment——freefromanysuspicionofcoquetry——thattherewerenoheartburnings，andtheunluckymanwhonourishedafanciedslightwouldhavebeenlaughedatbyhisfellows。Shehadatown-bredgirl’scuriosityandinterestincamplife，whichshedeclaredwaslikea“perpetualpicnic，“andherslim，gracefulfigurehaltingbesideaditchwherethemenwereworkingseemedtothemasgratefulasthenewspringsunshine。Thewholecampbecametidier；acoatwasconsideredderigueurat“Prossy’smother“evenings；therewaslesshorseplayinthetrails，andlessshouting。“It’sallverywelltotalkabout’oldmothers，’“saidthecynicalbarkeeper，“butthatgal，singlehanded，hasdonemoreinaweektomakethecampdecentthanoldMa’amRiggshasinamontho’Sundays。“
SinceProsper’sbriefconversationwithMissPottingerbeforethehouse，thequestion“Whatistobedone？“hadsingularlylapsed，norhaditbeenreferredtoagainbyeither。Theyoungladyhadapparentlythrownherselfintothediversionsofthecampwiththethoughtlessgayetyofabriefholidaymaker，anditwasnotforhimtoremindher——evenhadhewishedto——thatherimportantquestionhadneverbeenanswered。Hehadenjoyedherhappinesswiththereliefofasecretsharedbyher。Threeweekshadpassed；thelastofthewinter’srainshadgone。Springwasstirringinunderbrushandwildwood，inthepulseofthewaters，inthesapofthegreatpines，intheupliftingofflowers。SmallwonderifProsper’sboyishhearthadstirredalittletoo。