Miss Pinckney and Phyl left Grangersons next morning at seven o'clock toreturn to Charleston.
During the night the Colonel had sent after the horses and they had beencaptured and brought back. The broken phaeton was left for the present.
"I'll make Silas go and fetch it himself when he comes back," said theColonel. "I reckon the exercise will do him good."
"Do," said Miss Pinckney, "and then send him on to me. I reckon what I'llgive him will help him to forget the exercise."
On the way back she said little. She was reckoning with the fact that shehad deceived Richard. Now that everything had turned out so innocently andso well she decided to tell him the bare facts of the matter. There wasnothing to hide except the fact of Phyl's stupidity in going with Silas.
Richard Pinckney was not in when they arrived but he returned shortlybefore luncheon time and Miss Pinckney, who was waiting for him, carriedhim off into the library.
She shut the door and faced him.
"Richard," said Miss Pinckney, "Seth Grangerson is as well as you are. Ididn't go to see him because he was ill, I went because of Phyl. She did astupid thing and I went to set matters right."
She explained the whole affair. How Phyl had met Silas, how he hadpersuaded her to get into the phaeton with him, the accident and all therest. The story as told by Miss Pinckney was quite simple and without anydark patches, and no man, one might fancy, could find cause for offence init.
Miss Pinckney, however, was quite unconscious of the fact that SilasGrangerson had attempted to take Richard Pinckney's life on the night ofthe Rhetts' dance.
To Richard the thought that Phyl should have met Silas only a few hoursafter that event, talked to him, made friends with him, and got into hiscarriage was a monstrous thought. He could not understand the business inthe least, he could only recognise the fact.
Had he known that it was her love for him and her despair at losing himthat led her to the act it would have been different.
He said nothing for a moment after Miss Pinckney had finished. Havingalready confessed to her his love for Phyl he was too proud to show hisanger against her now.
"It was unwise of her," he said at last, turning away to the window andlooking out.
"Most," replied she, "but you cannot put old heads on young shoulders.Well, there, it's over and done with and there's no more to be said. Well,I must go up and change before luncheon. You are having luncheon here?"
"No," said he, "I have to meet a man at the club. I only just ran in tosee if you were back."
He went off and that day Miss Pinckney and Phyl had luncheon alone.