The thought of Alaric flashed through her mind, and with it came a
little pang of regret for the many occasions she had made fun of
him--and in his mother's presence. His proposal to her had its
pathetic as well as its humorous side. To save his family he would
have deliberately thrown away his own chance of happiness by
marrying her. Yet he would have done it willingly and cheerfully
and, from what she had seen of the little man, he would have lived
up to his obligations honourably and without a murmur.
Alaric's sense of relief at her refusal of him suddenly passed
before her, and she smiled broadly as she saw, in a mental picture,
his eager and radiant little face as he thanked her profusely for
being so generous as to refuse him. Looking back, Alaric was by no
means as contemptible as he had appeared at first sight. He had been
coddled too much. He needed the spur of adversity and the light of
battle with his fellowmen. Experience and worldly wisdom could make
him a useful and worthy citizen, since fundamentally there was
nothing seriously wrong with him.
Peg's outlook on life was distinctly becoming clarifled.
Lastly, she thought of Ethel. Poor, unhappy, lonely Ethel! In her
little narrow ignorance, Peg had taken an intense dislike to her
cousin from the beginning.
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