In spite of her precautions, however, a thunder-bolt slipped in.

One day her father read at the table an item that met his eye.  He repeated it aloud, on account of the peculiar statement in the last line: 

“Detained on suspicion.—­A rough-looking fellow, who gave the name of Gorman, was arrested on the high-road to Tuxbridge Springs for suspected complicity in some recent robberies in the neighborhood.  He was fortunately able to give a pretty clear account of his late whereabouts and he was permitted to depart with a caution from the justice.  Nothing was found upon him but a few coppers and an old kid glove wrapped in a bit of paper.”

Miss Eunice’s soup spilled.  This was too much, and she fainted this time in right good earnest; and she straightway became an invalid of the settled type.  They put her to bed.  The doctor told her plainly that he knew she had a secret, but she looked at him so imploringly that he refrained from telling his fancies; but he ordered an immediate change of air.  It was settled at once that she should go to the “Springs”—­to Tuxbridge Springs.  The doctor knew there were young people there, also plenty of dancing.  So she journeyed thither with her pa and her ma and with pillows and servants.

They were shown to their rooms, and strong porters followed with the luggage.  One of them had her huge trunk upon his shoulder.  He put it carefully upon the floor, and by so doing he disclosed the ex-prisoner to Miss Eunice and Miss Eunice to himself.  He was astonished, but he remained silent.  But she must needs be frightened and fall into another fit of trembling.  After an awkward moment he went away, while she called to her father and begged piteously to be taken away from Tuxbridge Springs instantly.  There was no appeal.  She hated, hated, HATED Tuxbridge Springs, and she should die if she were forced to remain.  She rained tears.  She would give no reason, but she could not stay.  No, millions on millions could not persuade her; go she must.  There was no alternative.  The party quitted the place within the hour, bag and baggage.  Miss Eunice’s father was perplexed and angry, and her mother would have been angry also if she had dared.

They went to other springs and stayed a month, but the patient’s fright increased each day, and so did her fever.  She was full of distractions.  In her dreams everybody laughed at her as the one who had flirted with a convict.  She would ever be pursued with the tale of her foolishness and stupidity.  Should he ever recover her self-respect and confidence?

She had become radically selfish.  She forgot the old ideas of noble-heartedness and self-denial, and her temper had become weak and childish.  She did not meet her puzzle face to face, but she ran away from it with her hands over her ears.  Miss Crofutt stared at her, and therefore she threw Miss Crofutt’s book into the fire.

After two days of unceasing debate, she called her parents, and with the greatest agitation told them all.