What was to be done?
She turned to Diana for counsel.

But Diana was still whipping up her scorn.
"If he goes out to meet Mr.Wilding, he'll shame himself and every man and woman that bears the name of Westmacott," said she, and struck a new fear with that into the heart of Ruth.
"He must not go!" she answered passionately.

"He must not meet him!" Diana flashed her a sidelong glance.

"And if he doesn't, will things be mended ?" she inquired.

"Will it save his honour to have Mr.Wilding come and cane him ?" "He'd not do that ?" said Ruth.
"Not if you asked him--no," was Diana's sharp retort, and she caught her breath on the last word of it, for just then the Devil dropped the seed of a suggestion into the fertile soil of her lovesick soul.
"Diana!" Ruth exclaimed in reproof, turning to confront her cousin.