And she believed that she spoke the truth; having never learned to analyze her own feelings, she did not know that all her dislike for Charlton had its root in a secret liking for him, and that having practical ability herself, the kind of ability that did not make a living was just the sort that she admired most.

It was, therefore, without any co-operation between them, that Isabel and young Charlton were both of them putting forth their best endeavor to defeat the plans of Smith Westcott, and avert the sad eclipse which threatened the life of little Katy.  And their efforts in that direction were about equally fruitful in producing the result they sought to avoid.  For whenever Isa talked to little Katy about Westcott, Katy in the goodness of her heart and the vehemence of her love was set upon finding out, putting in order, and enumerating all of his good qualities.  And when Albert attacked him vehemently and called him a coxcomb, and a rake, and a heartless villain, she cried, and cried, out of sheer pity for “poor Mr. Westcott;” she thought him the most persecuted man in the world, and she determined that she would love him more fervently and devotedly than ever, that she would!  Her love should atone for all the poor fellow suffered.  And “poor Mr. Westcott” was not slow in finding out that “feelin’ sorry for a feller was Katy’s soft side, by George! he! he!” and having made this discovery he affected to be greatly afflicted at the treatment he received from Albert and from Miss Marlay; nor did he hesitate to impress Katy with the fact that he endured all these things out of pure devotion to her, and he told her that he could die for her, “by George! he! he!” any day, and that she mustn’t ever desert him if she didn’t want him to kill himself; he didn’t care two cents for life except for her, and he’d just as soon go to sleep in the lake as not, “by George! he! he!” any day.  And then he rattled his keys, and sang in a quite affecting way, to the simple-minded Kate, how for “bonnie Annie Laurie,” with a look at Katy, he could “lay him down and dee,” and added touchingly and recitatively the words “by George! he! he!” which made his emotion seem very real and true to Katy; she even saw a vision of “poor Mr. Westcott” dragged out of the lake dead on her account, and with that pathetic vision in her mind she vowed she’d rather die than desert him.  And as for all the ills which her brother foreboded for her in case she should marry Smith Westcott, they did not startle her at all.  Such simple, loving natures as Katy Charlton’s can not feel for self.  It is such a pleasure to them to throw themselves away in loving.