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Chapter 1 The Systems Analyst and IS Development
Solution Manual for Systems Analysis

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Chapter 1: The Systems Analyst and

Information Systems Development
Answer to Your Turn 1-1: Being an Analyst

Student answers will vary, depending on their preferences regarding being a: 1) systems
analyst, 2) business analyst, 3) requirements analyst, 4) infrastructure analyst, or 5)
change management analyst. Verify that the student has correctly associated the skills
needed with the type of analyst for which they aspire and that the student has created a
plan to acquire those skills. The roles and the names used to describe them may vary
from organization to organization.
Answer to Your Turn 1-2: Implementing a Satellite Data Network

While answers may vary, answers might include the following:
1. A Cost-Benefit analysis, along with other financial processes (ROI, etc.) would
certainly reveal that a just-in-time (JIT) inventory can reduce inventory costs and
increase revenue. A standard communication line, encrypted or not, would not be
able to handle the high bandwidth needed for data, voice and video transmissions.
2. A competitor would be able to narrow the gap by adopting the JIT type of
inventory management. Voice and video are not necessary to keep the inventory
up to date on a timely basis, data transmissions alone would work well.
Answer to Your Turn 1-3: Too Much Paper, Part 1

System Request
Sponsor: Document Manager.
1-1
Business Need: Increase efficiency in storing, updating, and retrieving information

on employee injury claims.
Business Requirements: Automated system which allows for electronic submission
of reports via a secure web site.
Business Value: Reduce response time for employee inquiries, increase effectiveness
of storing, updating, and retrieving employee injury claims. Reduce storage costs
of paper files.
Special Issues: Must have someone who understands how to create and maintain a
secure web site. Must have resources to migrate paper files to data storage. Must
work within HIPAA guidelines to ensure that medical documents are treated
according to regulations.
Answer to Your Turn 1-4: Too Much Paper, Part 2

1. Issues arising from digital signatures and electronic documents typically focus on
establishing validity for signatures and originators. As these issues can be
overcome using certificates and encryption, they don’t necessarily affect the
project feasibility. However, they do need to be addressed.
2. Answers will vary. The project champion, organizational management, and
perhaps most importantly a subset of the stakeholders must believe in and show
support for the project. One solution would be to plan and provide for sufficient
training that demonstrates how their jobs might be easier to accomplish with the
automated system.
Answer to Your Turn 1-5: Discovering Visible Analyst - Lesson 1

Student answers and experiences will vary based on the adoption of the software
package, Visible Analyst. It is highly recommended that a CASE tool be used for
modeling throughout this course.
Answer to Concepts in Action 1-A: Managerial Causes of IT Failures

Qantas provides for an “ice-breaker” discussion topic for the first class. Perhaps group
the students and have them discuss this company and then provide for class discussion
about the importance of IT project success.
Answer to Concepts in Action 1-B: BPI on the Farm

Efficiency gains are mentioned in this Concept in Action. What are the drawbacks to this
scenario? Is it as easy as it seems? Issues such as Wi-Fi coverage on a farm, perhaps
even cellular coverage can come into play as can weather, dust, and other issues inherent
with a farming enterprise.
1-2
Answer to Concepts in Action 1-C: Interview with Don Hallacy, President,

Technology Services, Sprint Corporation
This is an opportune time to identify the responsibilities of the differing roles that an
analyst serves.
Answer to Concepts in Action 1-D: Carlson Hospitality

Carlson Hospitality can use the information from the survey to determine whether the
one-point increase in market share revenue ($20 million per point) will offset costs
associated with increasing the level of services to high-quality customers which would
result in a 10% increase in customer satisfaction.
Answer to Concepts in Action 1-E: Return on Investment

1. One method for determining a return on investment is to complete a Cost-Benefit
Analysis using the Present Value Method. Many of the costs for server
virtualization are associated with the initial construction: physical manipulation of
the servers and software licensing. The ongoing costs of labor in updating and
accessing tables would be relatively small. Using this type of analysis would
allow the project sponsors to show how the benefits of the virtualization would be
realized on a long term basis.
2. Implementing a major change to a system should certainly include a systems
analyst. Systems analysts typically have a broad view of the system, and would be
able to ascertain how virtualizing the servers will affect the whole system.
Answers to End of Chapter Questions

1. List and describe the six general skills all project team members should have?
[1] Technical skills (knowledge of how to employ technology in development system

solutions). [2] Business skills (knowledge of how to apply IT to business problems to
achieve a valuable solution). [3] Analytical skills (ability to solve complex
problems). [4] Interpersonal skills (oral and written communication skills with both
technical and non-technical audiences). [5] Management skills (ability to manage
others and cope with an uncertain environment). [6] Ethical skills (ability to deal
with others honestly and ethically).
2. What are the major roles on a project team?
1-3
Business analyst – emphasis on the business issues addressed by the system: value of
new system; identification of problems and opportunities; revision of business
processes and policies.
Systems analyst – emphasis on IS issues of the system: how IT can be used to
support business processes; design of new business process and IS; and enforcement
of IS standards.
Infrastructure analyst – technical issues associated with integrating new system
components to existing technical infrastructure.
Requirements analyst – eliciting the requirements of the new system from all
stakeholders. They understand the business well, are excellent communicators, and
are highly skilled in obtaining system requirements.
Change management analyst – emphasis on facilitating organizational adaptation to
new system. Helping to identify and overcome resistance to change and assuring
adequate training and documentation of new system.
Project manager – ensuring that progress is made on the project; time schedules and
budgets are met; supervision of project team; and manage relations with project
sponsor and users.
3. Compare and contrast the role of a systems analyst, business analyst, and
infrastructure analyst.
These three roles emphasize different perspectives on the system. The business
analyst represents the sponsor/users interests, while the systems analyst knows how to
apply IS to support business needs. Together, the systems analyst and the business
analyst can design a system that conforms to the IS standards while adding value to
the business. The infrastructure analyst has more technical knowledge and provides
the team with technical constraints, or identifies infrastructure changes that the new
system will require.
4. Compare and contrast the role of requirements analyst, change management analyst,
and project manager.
These three roles also emphasize different perspectives on the system. The
requirements analyst focuses on eliciting the requirements from the system
stakeholders. The change management analyst focuses on people and managing
issues surrounding the installation of the system. The project manager ensures that
the project is completed on time and within budget and that the system delivers the
expected value to the organization.
5. Describe the major phases in the systems development life cycle (SDLC).
The planning phase focuses on determining if there is justification to build an

information system and developing a plan to accomplish the development project.
The analysis phase is focused on understanding the existing situation and determining
the needs and requirements expected from the new system. The design phase refines
1-4
the system requirements (from analysis) and develops specifications for how the new
system will fulfill those requirements. The implementation phase involves
constructing (or installing) the new system, testing, converting, training, and
providing support for the new system.
6. Describe the principal steps in the planning phase. What are some major
deliverables?
Step 1 – Project Initiation: the project sponsor works with the IS department to
develop a preliminary assessment of the project’s feasibility. It is important to make
an initial evaluation of the project’s value (is it worth doing; is it technically possible
for us; will it be used?). The system request and the results of the feasibility analysis
are usually presented to management for approval. If the project is accepted, we
move to:
Step 2 – Project Management: the project work plan is created, project staffing is
determined, and project management controls and procedures are established. These
elements comprise the project plan.
The deliverables in the planning phase include the feasibility analysis and the project
plan.
7. Describe the principal steps in the analysis phase. What are some major
deliverables?
Step 1 – Analysis Strategy: based on the nature of the project, the project team will
formulate the approach that will be used to develop the requirements for the new
system. The strategy usually includes the following steps:
Step 2 – Analyze the current system: gather information from the project sponsor and
users of the current system regarding its strengths and weaknesses. Use the problems
identified to formulate objectives for the new system.
Step 3 – Create new system concept: based on the gathered information, develop a
general concept of the new system, including functions and capabilities it will have.
Step 4 – Modeling activities: express ideas for the new system’s processing and data
requirements with process models and data models.
Step 5: Prepare and present system proposal: assemble the analysis results, system
concept, process model and data model into a proposal for the new system. Project
sponsor and/or approval committee will determine if system has enough merit to
continue development.
1-5
The primary deliverable for the analysis phase is the system proposal, which
combines the information generated during this phase into a document that expresses
the initial conceptual design for the new system and the basis for the design decisions.
8. Describe the principal steps in the design phase. What are some major deliverables?
Step 1 – Design Strategy: based on the nature of the project, the project team will
determine the appropriate means of developing the system (in-house custom
development, purchase of pre-written software, or outsourcing development to a 3rd
party. Following this, the steps below outline the various design tasks that must be
performed:
Step 2 – Design the system architecture: describe the basic hardware, software, and
networking that will be used in the new system.
Step 3 – Design the user interface: the overall structure of the system, the user’s
navigation through the system; the inputs and outputs of the system, and the
appearance of the screens are designed.
Step 4 – Design the database and/or files: develop specifications for the data storage
structures that will be implemented for the new system.
Step 5: Design the programs: develop plans and outlines for each program that will
be written to implement the functions and capabilities of the new system.
The primary deliverable for the design phase is the system specification, which
combines all the design specifications mentioned above. The system specification is
the basis for the construction work that will be performed by the programmers.
9. Describe the principal steps in the implementation phase. What are some major
deliverables?
Step 1 – Build the system: programs are written and tested, and various infrastructure
components are installed. Testing is conducted to verify system performance.
Step 2 – Train the users: develop and conduct training programs so that end users are
thoroughly familiar with the new system’s functions and work procedures.
Step 3 – Convert to the new system: transition from the old system and procedures to
the new system and procedures.
Step 4 – Support the new system: evaluate the development process for lessons
learned from this project, and establish methods for identifying and implementing
change to the new system as needed.
1-6
The primary deliverables for the Implementation phase includes the completed and
documented programs, users manuals and procedures manuals, training materials, and
plans for system support.
10. Which phase in the SDLC is most important?
While each phase is important to the overall systems analysis, special attention must
be given to the planning and analysis phase. The planning phase is intended to
determine the feasibility of a project and to create a project plan. If the feasibility
analysis is poorly done or misunderstood or the project is ill-planned, then the chance
of success is extremely low. Similarly, if the analysis phase is shortened or omitted
altogether, then the requirements of the system will not be fully defined and may
result in either a system that does not address business needs or one that does not get
completed due to continuous rework.
11. What does gradual refinement mean in the context of SDLC?
Generally, the clarity of understanding and the depth of detail of the new system are
gradually refined during the phases of the SDLC. Initially, the requirements are only
vaguely understood. This understanding is improved during the Analysis phase.
Further detail is developed during Design, and then is fully expressed during
Implementation.
12. Describe the four steps of business process management (BPM). Why do companies
adopt BPM as a management strategy?
BPM is a methodology used by organizations to continuously improve end-to-end

business processes. It follows a cycle of systematically creating, assessing, and
altering said processes. The four steps of BPM are:
Step 1: defining and mapping the steps in a business process,
Step 2: creating ways to improve on steps in the process that add value,
Step 3: finding ways to eliminate or consolidate steps in the process that don’t add
value, and
Step 4: creating or adjusting electronic workflows to match the improved process

maps.
By studying and improving their underlying business processes, organizations can

achieve several important benefits, including: enhanced process agility, improved
process alignment, and increased process efficiencies.
13. Compare and contrast BPA, BPI, and BPR. Which is most risky? Which has the
greatest potential value?
1-7
The three techniques applied within BPM for business processes are that of
Automation (BPA), Improvement (BPI), and Reengineering (BPR). It is entirely
possible that all three of these techniques could be used on the same project
depending on the scope and impact the planned change will have on the steps of
BPM.
As a rule, when technology is applied to a process to enhance agility and provide

more ability for change the project would be a BPA. When a process incorporates
industry “best practices” or perhaps finds ways to eliminate or consolidate steps in the
process it would be termed BPI. The BPR technique changes the fundamental way in
which the organization operates. In effect, BPR makes major changes to take
advantage of new ideas and new technology.
BPR is considered to contain the most amount of risk of the three techniques due to
the significant organizational and operational changes that result.
The answers can certainly vary with regard to greatest potential. In many cases it will
be a “hybrid” blend of all three that could hold the most potential for the organization.
14. Give three examples of business needs for a system.
• To maintain or improve the competitive position.

• To perform a business function more efficiently.
• To take advantage of a new business opportunity.
15. Describe the roles of the project sponsor and the approval committee.
The project sponsor is the individual or department responsible for initiating a

systems request. Typically during the Planning phase the project sponsor works with
the IT department to conduct a feasibility analysis. The approval committee (or
steering committee) then evaluates the systems request along with the results of the
feasibility study to determine whether or not to approve the request.
16. What is the purpose of an approval committee? Who is usually on this committee?
The approval committee generally serves as the decision making body regarding
investments in information systems projects. This committee generally has a broad
organizational representation and therefore can avoid allocating resources that will
serve only narrow organizational interests. The approval committee commonly has
project oversight responsibilities as well; monitoring project performance after the
project has been accepted. The composition of the approval committee will vary
from organization to organization, but generally consists of high-level managers from
throughout the organization. The committee is often chaired by the CIO.
17. Why should the system request be created by a businessperson as opposed to an IS

professional?
1-8
Usually, the system request originates with a businessperson because the need for the
system or system improvement is recognized in the business unit. It is unlikely the IS
professionals in the organization will be able to recognize all the business needs and
opportunities for systems and improvements in the business units since they are not
involved directly in those areas. Also, the businessperson will have a much better
idea of the value of the proposed system or improvement, and therefore is in a better
position to create a meaningful system request.
18. What is the difference between intangible value and tangible value? Give three
examples of each.
Tangible value represents the system benefits that are quantifiable and measurable.
Intangible value represents benefits that are real, but are difficult to quantify and
measure. Examples of tangible benefits might be increased sales, reduced operating
costs, and reduced interest costs. Examples of intangible value might include
increased customer satisfaction, improved decision making, improved problem
recognition.
19. What are the purposes of the system request and the feasibility analysis? How are
they used in the project selection process?
The purpose of the system request is to initiate a systems project. The system request
pulls together preliminary ideas on the reason for the system and its expected value to
the organization. The feasibility analysis represents a more detailed investigation into
the proposed system outlined in the system request. The system analyst and the
project sponsor work together to more fully develop the objectives of the system and
to understand its potential costs and benefits to the organization. The system request
and the feasibility analysis are the key inputs used by the approval committee in
determining if the proposed system has enough merit to move into the analysis phase.
20. Describe two special issues that may be important to list on a system request.
Any special circumstances that could affect the outcome of the project must be clearly
identified. Examples of special issues that may be important to include are:
environmental factors that should be considered (e.g., new governmental reporting
requirements); competitive factors (e.g., IS-enabled systems introduced or anticipated by
competitors); externally imposed deadlines that cannot be altered (e.g., completion by the
start of the next fiscal year); mandated technologies.
21. Describe the three dimensions of feasibility analysis.
Technical feasibility looks at the capability of the organization to successfully

develop the proposed system. Included in this assessment are the project size, the
types of technologies to be used in the project, and the amount of prior experience
with that technology and the business application. Economic feasibility addresses the
1-9
economic justification of the project. Here, we attempt to determine if the value of

the project’s benefits justifies investing in the project’s estimated costs.
Organizational feasibility evaluates whether the system is likely to be accepted and
used by the organization. Included in this assessment will be the strength of the
sponsor’s and management’s support for the project and the enthusiasm or resistance
of the users for the project.
22. What factors are used to determine project size?
Some factors that can be used to determine project size include: the number of
people on the project team, the expected time to complete the project, the
breadth/scope of the project, the number of distinct features to be included in the
system, the degree of integration required between the system and existing systems.
23. Describe a “risky” project in terms of technical feasibility. Describe a project that
would NOT be considered “risky.”
A project that would be technically risky would be one that is large in scale, utilizes
technology that we have little or no experience with, and is for a business area that is
new and unfamiliar to the organization. A project that would not be considered
technically risky would be one that is small in scale, uses technology that is well-
understood, and is for a business area that is very familiar to the users and developers.
24. What are the steps for assessing economic feasibility? Describe each step.
To assess economic feasibility, one should:

1. Identify costs and benefits of the proposed system. List tangible costs and
benefits, including one-time and recurring costs.
2. Assign values to the costs and benefits. Work with business users and IT
professionals to quantify each of the costs and benefits. Try to estimate intangible
costs and benefits as well.
3. Determine the cash flow of the project over the analysis period. Project the costs
and benefit annually over the analysis period, usually 3-5 years.
4. Determine the project’s net present value. Calculate the present value of each
year's costs and benefits, using the appropriate required rate of return for the
project. Subtract the cumulative PV of costs from the cumulative PV of benefits
to determine the project's net present value. If it is a positive number, the project
is considered acceptable.
5. Determine the project’s return on investment. Use the ROI formula to calculate
the return the organization will get on its investment in the project. ROI = (Total
benefits - Total costs) / Total costs.
6. Calculate break-even point. Determine the point in time when the project has
generated enough cash flow to recapture its cost.
7. Graph break-even point. Plot the yearly costs and benefits on a line graph. The
point of intersection is the break-even point.
1-10
25. List two intangible benefits. Describe how these benefits can be quantified.
One example of an intangible benefit is reduced response time to address customer

requests. Estimating the increase in the number of customers that could be served
and the average revenue gained per customer could approximate the value of this
benefit. So, if we currently have 1000 customers, the average revenue per customer
is $100, and by reducing our response time we can increase the number of customers
served by 30%, then our benefit will be $30,000 (300 add’l customers @ $100).
A second example of an intangible benefit is improved customer satisfaction.

Determining how much repeat business we lose from dissatisfied customers could
approximate the value of this benefit. The amount of repeat business lost could be
determined through customer satisfaction surveys or marketing research. Assume we
currently have 1000 customers, each customer brings in average revenue of $100, and
we currently lose the repeat business of 10% of our customers due to dissatisfaction.
If an improvement in customer satisfaction resulted in losing only 5% of repeat
business, then the value of that benefit would be $5,000 (50 customers retained
@$100).
26. List two tangible benefits and two operational costs for a system. How would you
determine the values that should be assigned to each item?
Two tangible benefits are: an increase in sales and a decrease in uncollectible

accounts receivable. The best way to measure these benefits is to go to the business
people who understand these areas and ask them for reasonable estimates. The sales
and marketing managers and the accounts receivable managers will be in the best
position to determine these values.
Operational costs are the ongoing costs associated with the new system, and are fairly
easy to determine objectively. One common operational cost is that of maintenance
agreements for new hardware, which can be determined by contacting hardware
vendors about the costs of their maintenance contracts. Another common operations
cost is that of new employees that will be needed to run the new system. Salaries and
benefits for new employees can be determined by checking local and regional salary
and wage surveys for the type of employee needed.
27. Explain how an expected value can be calculated for a cost or benefit. When would
this be done?
An expected value consists of a combining set of possible outcomes along with the
associated probability of each outcome. For example, the Production department may
estimate possible increases in costs for parts based on economic indicators. They
estimate that there is a 40% chance the costs will increase to $300,000, a 25% chance
the costs will increase to $400,000 and a 35% chance the costs will increase to
$350,000. Overall the expected value of the rise in costs would be estimated to be
$342,500 = ($300,000 * .40) + ($400,000 * .25) + ($350,000 * .35).
1-11
Estimating the expected value of a cost or benefit would be done when assigning
costs and benefits when determining economic feasibility.
28. Explain the net present value and return on investment for a cost-benefit analysis.
Why would these calculations be used?
The net present value (NPV) method compares the present values of the project’s
cash inflows and outflows. If the present value of the benefits (inflows) is equal to or
greater than the present value of the costs (outflows), then the project is considered
economically justifiable. NPV has the advantage of including a required rate of
return in the calculation, so the NPV figure captures the costs associated with tying
up money in the project. NPV also explicitly considers the timing of the cash flows
throughout the system life. The return on investment (ROI) method simply compares
the total net cash flows from the project with the total outflows in aggregate. While
this ROI number gives some sense of how much money the project generates in
comparison to its total cost, it omits any consideration of the timing of the cash flows
and the time value of money. The ROI method, while simple to compute, is flawed in
many ways and should not be used as the only economic indicator of a project’s
merit.
29. What is the break-even point for the project? How is it calculated?
The break-even point is the point in time when the project has generated enough cash
flow to recapture its cost. The year in which the project breaks even is the first year
in which the cumulative NPV is a positive number. The exact point during that year
at which break even occurs is calculated by: (Yearly NPV (for first positive year) -
Cumulative NPV at that year) / Yearly NPV (for the first positive year)
30. What is stakeholder analysis? Discuss three stakeholders that would be relevant for
most projects.
Stakeholder analysis is a systematic process that identifies all parties that will be
affected by a new information system, and attempts to estimate the consequences of
the project for each stakeholder group. A major goal of stakeholder analysis is to
ensure that the consequences of a new system are considered for all parties that will
be affected by the system. The most common stakeholders to consider for most
systems projects are the system champion, the system users, and the organization’s
management. The system champion is the person or group who initiates the project
and provides support for it. The users are the individuals who will work with the
system once it is implemented. The organization management commits resources to
the project and has an interest in seeing those resources be used to improve the
functioning of the organization.
1-12
Solutions to End of Chapter Exercises
A. Go to www.bls.gov and perform a search for “systems analyst.” What is the

employment outlook for this career? Compare and contrast the skills listed with the
skills that were presented in this chapter.
Student answers will vary. The search returned more than 8,500 responses from the
bls website. This is an eye opening exercise for all students to complete. These skills
are consistent with those presented in this chapter.
B. Think about your ideal analyst position. Write a job posting to hire someone for that
position. What requirements would the job have? What skills and experience would
be required? How would the applicants demonstrate that they have the appropriate
skills and experience?
Student answers will vary, depending on their preferences regarding being a systems
analyst, business analyst, infrastructure analyst, or change management analyst. Try
to verify that the student has correctly associated the skills needed with the type of
analyst position for which they aspire. Demonstration of skills and experience should
come from prior actual positions held, responsibilities and accomplishments in those
positions, and references.
C. Locate a news article in an IT trade web site (e.g., Computerworld.com,

InformationWeek.com) about an organization that is implementing a new computer
system. Describe the tangible and intangible value that the organization seeks from
the new system.
Students' answers will vary. Verify that the tangible examples are easy to quantify
and measure. Verify that the intangible value examples represent those benefits that
are more difficult to quantify (e.g., customer goodwill or repeat business).
D. Car dealers have realized how profitable it can be to sell automobiles by using the
Web. Pretend that you work for a local car dealership that is part of a large chain
such as CarMax. Create a system request you might use to develop a Web-based
sales system. Remember to list special issues that are relevant to the project.
System Request
Sponsor: Sales Manager.

Business Need: Increase sales, increase market share, broaden geographic reach to
potential customers.
Business Requirements: Web-based access to vehicle inventory including pictures.
Search capabilities. Ability to process requests for more information about a
vehicle.
1-13
Business Value: Increase sales by 4%; increase market share by 1.5%; broaden reach
to customers within 250 mile radius of dealership.
Special Issues: Must have someone who will keep Web-site content up to date
constantly. Who will handle customer inquiries? How will this person be
compensated? Will the compensation of our current sales force be affected?
How will the sales force feel about this new system? Will having our own Web-
based sales system affect our participation in the CarMax chain?
E. Think about your own university or college and choose an idea that could improve
student satisfaction with the course enrollment process. Currently, can students
enroll for classes from anywhere? How long does it take? Are directions simple to
follow? In online help available? Next, think about how technology can help support
your idea. Would you need completely new technology? Can the current system be
changed?
Create a system request that you could give to the administration that explains the
sponsor, business need, business requirements, and potential value of the project.
Include any constraints or issues that should be considered.
On most campuses this is a “hot topic” which would make this an excellent exercise
to complete on the classroom whiteboard as a way of introducing the system request
form and how to complete it.
F. Think about the idea that you developed in Exercise E to improve your university or
college course enrollment process. List three things that influence the technical
feasibility of the system, the economic feasibility of the system, and the organizational
feasibility of the system. How can you learn more about the issues that affect the
three kinds of feasibility?
Technical Feasibility – Student responses will vary

Economic Feasibility – The cost associated with such a system will be a large
unknown for the students. They might not realize that the existing system is
probably a part of a much larger and very expensive enterprise system.
Organizational Feasibility – Understanding the organizational makeup is paramount.
Is the current system free standing within the college or university, or is it a part
of a system-wide (multi-campus operation?)
G. Amazon.com was very successful when it decided to extend its offerings beyond books
to many other products. Amazon.com was unable to compete successfully with
eBay.com’s auction site, however, and eventually abandoned its own auction site.
What feasibility factors probably had the most significance in this failure? Explain.
Most certainly it was Economic. The company lost vast sums of money annually.
Technically it was not a challenge to compete, Organizationally, Amazon did not
want to lose, but finally Economically it had to be abandoned.
1-14
H. Interview someone who works in a large organization and ask him or her to describe
the approval process that exists for approving new development projects. What do
they think about the process? What are the problems? What are the benefits?
Students' answers will vary.
I. Reread the “Your Turn 1-2” box (Implementing a Satellite Data Network). Create a
list of the stakeholders that should be considered in a stakeholder analysis of this
project.
A list of stakeholders would include the project sponsor (also known as project
champion), managers in the organization (particularly inventory), and users at the
regional and national headquarters.
Answers to Textbook Minicases

1. The purpose of this minicase is to encourage students to recognize the value of the
structure of the four phases of the SDLC to smaller projects, even end-user computing
projects such as this. This minicase provides an opportunity for the class to be divided
into small groups, each responsible for one of the main sections of the minicase, and then
have the small groups present and discuss their answers.
A. Planning:
i. What is the purpose of the Planning Phase for a project such as this?
In a smaller, end-user computing situation, the Planning phase ensures that the project scope
is understood prior to “diving in” to the project work. A system request may not be formally
prepared, but the business purpose of the project and the value to the business should be
articulated. Feasibility should be considered for any project. Technical feasibility evaluation
should encourage the developer to identify places where he/she might need assistance from
the IS professionals. Economic issues and organizational feasibility concerns should help
determine if the project has enough value to justify the time and costs, and organizational
feasibility assessment should help alert the developer to organizational acceptance issues.
While a formal project plan may not be required, it is important to organize the project and
lay out the timetable for work on the project. If additional help will be needed, the individuals
who can provide that help must be lined up at the appropriate time.
ii. What are the typical outcomes of the Planning Phase?

Typically, the Planning phase produces a System Request, preliminary Feasibility
Assessment, and Project Plan, including workplan and staffing plan. The main point of the
planning phase is to more thoroughly understand the project, verify that it has value and is
worth doing, and be prepared to tackle the project.
iii. How did not doing this step affect Megan’s project outcome?
Megan did not adequately appreciate the scale of the project she was taking on. Her
approach, “…set up the basics for the system and then tweak it around until I got what I
wanted…” demonstrates that a haphazard attitude toward such a project results in a poor
outcome. She also did not adequately understand the interests and reactions of her assistant
and the members of her sales staff.
B. Analysis:
1-15
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from this hour, break with him and never again permit him to make
love to you? That you'll try to be a true and loyal wife to Astry, to
remember that he's given you his name?"
The color came back to Eva's cheeks, the light to her eyes; she saw
hope, escape from the disgrace, and she snatched at it.
"I promise! Rachel—you will?"
Rachel raised her gently to her feet and put away her clinging
hands, then she went to the window and looked out at the light
which grew and grew across the city. God's day was wonderful; it
was coming to her at last and she must meet it. Love was lost,
happiness was lost, but truth was not lost. Her sister was innocent, it
was a duty to save her; she had promised to always take care of her,
she was called upon now to fulfil that promise. Was she ready? She
stood there for a moment longer, a moment that seemed to Eva's
anxiety interminable, before she turned and covered her face with
her hands. She wanted to shut it all out, to hide this horror from her
own eyes, and again the unreality of it possessed her. She let her
hands fall at her sides and Eva saw that her face was colorless and
worn.
"I suppose there's nothing else to be done," she said, with a
shudder, "and if it's to save you—"
"Oh, Rachel, you'll do it?"
"I must."
III
RACHEL'S engagement to Belhaven was announced by Astry, before
twelve o'clock the following day, in the library.
Matrimonial engagements do not, as a rule, occur during week-end
parties without some preliminary symptoms. The entire family might
be taken by measles unawares much more easily than to be wholly
surprised by an engagement. This absence of preliminary symptoms,
in fact of any symptoms at all, had the effect of making Astry's
announcement as violently abrupt as an explosion of nitroglycerine.
Paul Van Citters remarked afterwards, in private, that it had quite
bowled him over, but Mrs. Van Citters, though a dutiful wife, made
no response; she had impressions of her own, having just heard
from her husband the report of that other engagement between
Charter and Mrs. Prynne. Charter was Pamela Van Citters' first
cousin and she did not relish the Prynne idea, though she withheld
her reasons from Paul. Being a wise woman, Pamela had never
criticized Mrs. Prynne, but she was really stunned by Rachel's
engagement to Belhaven. So were the others.
Sidney Billop nearly swallowed his collar-button, which he had in his
mouth when his mother burst into his room to inform him. She had
been one of the group in the library; Sidney had not, having sat up
uncommonly late the night before trying to discover why Astry kept
Belhaven so long in tête-à-tête. The engagement offered a solution,
but not a satisfactory one. It was scarcely necessary for Belhaven to
ask Astry's consent to his sister-in-law's marriage, and everybody
knew that the Leven money, what there was of it, was in charge of a
trust company and tied up in real estate, so there could have been
no question of a settlement. Sidney recovered the collar-button but
not his peace of mind; it was all certainly very curious.
Colonel Sedley, with an elephantine effort at playfulness,
congratulated Rachel with the remark that he had hoped, at one
time, that she would join the army, but she met this shaft with
composure and even smiled gently at the colonel's impossible
pleasantry.
The subtle charm of her personality had never been more apparent
and, although she was very pale, her face had the delicate loveliness
of a Greuze. The low arch of the brow, framed by dusky hair, and
the thick-set, dark lashes that shadowed her dark gray eyes, seemed
perfect enough, in the subdued light of the library, to establish an
actual claim to beauty almost as great as Eva Astry's. She had
suddenly become the central figure of the drama and her friends
were surprised and even impressed by the unexpected resources she
showed, for no matter how awkward and incongruous it seemed,
she remained the mistress of the situation. That the situation was
incongruous could not be denied; it had the appearance, at first
sight, of a nine days' wonder.
"Surprised?" Pamela Van Citters exclaimed, replying to Dr.
Macclesfield. "Don't ask me; I've been figuratively snatching at
things to keep on my feet. I'm like Paul; it's bowled me over."
"Yet we were wondering the other day how Rachel had escaped the
infection so long."
"It isn't that. Rachel's lovely and she must have refused dozens of
offers already, but—it's the man!"
Dr. Macclesfield cocked an erratic eyebrow. "Why the man?
Belhaven's good looking, you know, and reasonably rich, and I
rather thought you women liked him."
"Oh, did you?"
The old man laughed. "Out with it, Pamela; I'm safe as the
confessional."
Pamela considered; of course the doctor was safe enough, but ought
she to speak the truth? She edged around the idea, fascinated with
it; she was possessed with a wild desire to talk it over; she was loyal
enough to Rachel, but that very loyalty made her indignant; from
her point of view the engagement was an injury to Rachel.
"I suppose you know what people say?" she ventured.
"Oh, that's sometimes wide of the mark!"
"Well, it's true, I think, don't you? At least he's in love with Eva."
"My dear Pamela, how do you know that?"
"Know it?" She gave a quick glance back at the long room—they
were standing in the door of the hall—to assure herself that she was
unheard. "Why, it's as plain as the nose on your face!"
Macclesfield laughed. "You can't expect me to be accomplished in
these details; besides, Belhaven has probably only been telling Eva
how much he loved her sister."
Mrs. Van Citters met this suggestion with scorn. "Is that all you
know?"
"Isn't it enough for a mere man?"
"Perhaps I shouldn't expect any more, but the idea of deliberately
choosing a man who's in love with your sister! It's hard enough to
keep a husband devoted anyway, and I'd want him to begin by being
in love with me."
"Wouldn't it be just as well if he ended there?"
"You mean that you think he can't help falling in love with Rachel in
the end?"
"Something like that, only I think he's in love with her already."
"Pff! Nothing of the sort; look at his face."
"You couldn't expect a mere man to keep his sang-froid at such a
moment as this?" the doctor retorted, adjusting his eye-glasses to
look at the bridegroom elect.
"At least he needn't look as if he expected to be hung!"
"Oh, that's natural enough, my dear," Macclesfield retorted, with a
chuckle. "Mrs. Billop's got him in tow."
"He looked just the same before she got him, which shows where he
is! It makes me indignant—not on his account, of course you know
that! He's not half good enough for Rachel and he ought to be down
on his knees to get her; but he's mad about Eva. He's been watching
Eva all the time; any one can see it."
The doctor smiled grimly. "She'll bear watching."
"Oh, she's pretty enough, and, heavens, what a gown! Her clothes
cost a fortune. It doesn't seem fair, and I've told her so, to be so
pretty and to have so much money to make you more so."
"You can't imagine all the compliments Pamela's paying you, Eva,"
said the old doctor, as their hostess came past them in one of her
excursions across the room.
"It's because I'm so happy over dear Rachel's happiness," she
replied, with a beaming glance.
Belhaven, who heard this, regarded her with sudden amazement.
There was always a time when Eva's lovers were amazed, usually
just before they were disillusioned, and Belhaven found it difficult, at
the moment, to meet her on her own ground. What had been to him
a kind of exhibition, in which he was compelled to pose as the
unwilling dancing-bear, was apparently an occasion of joy and relief
to her. He did not appreciate the fact that, having saved her own
skin, Eva was not keenly aware that his was gone. And if he caught
a look of exasperation on Astry's face, it did not enlighten him to the
fact that Astry had traveled that road before him, had asked for
bread and received a stone.
But Dr. Macclesfield, ruminating on Pamela's remarks, was not so
easily misled. He had known the two sisters all their lives and he
observed Eva shrewdly.
"I wonder what the little devil's been up to?" he thought. "She's
acting a little more elaborately than usual; she's aware herself that
she's acting, and as a rule it's a second nature. She never did
anything natural in her life except to have chicken-pox when she
was seven."
Family doctors accumulate a store of perfectly useless but
uncomfortable information; that is the penalty we pay for expert
advice, we reveal our affairs and our tongues.
Meanwhile, Paul Van Citters and the Italian Chargé d'Affaires having
fallen into the toils of little Mrs. Prynne, Astry found himself offering
his best cigars to Colonel Sedley as a means of diverting him from
his one idea. But, though the fragrant Havana somewhat softened
the edge of the colonel's observations, it did not entirely change the
course of his conversation.
"I say, Astry, how about Charter?" he said. "You know I thought he
was hard hit when he was here last."
Astry lit his own cigar carefully. "I'm not responsible for that, you
know," he said dryly.
"I know that if he's come a cropper you didn't lend him the horse!
But he's a fine fellow, Astry, a splendid fellow! I'd like to have seen
Miss Leven marry a man like that."
"Exactly, but isn't it for her to choose after all?"
Sedley nodded slowly. "Of course, but, by Jove," he added, after a
moment of silent puffing at his cigar, "what queer men women
choose!"
Astry colored slightly and frowned, yet he was aware that Sedley did
not know that he had loved Rachel first and asked her to marry him
before Eva came back from a two years' stay in Paris. Rachel had
refused him, simply because she did not love him. Knowing this,
Astry had always regarded her as above the consideration of
fortune, and it angered him the more that she should have
deliberately chosen Belhaven. He was conscious, too, and it
embittered his mood, that he had never hated Belhaven so on Eva's
account, nor been so jealous of him as he was now, watching him
stand close to Rachel to receive the congratulations of their
bewildered friends. What would Rachel say to Belhaven, what would
she do? The position was so forced, so unreal, that it affected Astry
like a distasteful tragedy realistically acted but imperfectly staged.
"I have a feeling that Charter'll be considerably knocked up about it,"
persisted Sedley; "and he's made a splendid record in the
Philippines."
"Well, a man who can stand the Philippines can stand a
disappointment in love."
"They tell me the climate's a perfect Turkish bath, but we've done a
lot in Manila; it'll be half-way decent now that the moat's grassed
over and their confounded drains filled up."
"Oh, if you've got to drains!"
The colonel laughed good-humoredly. "I don't know but that they're
more in my line than match-making," he said.
All this while Rachel had been listening to appropriate remarks and
Mrs. Billop was particularly affectionate.
"My dear," she whispered, "I'm envious; you're positively the only
one I should have loved for Sidney."
Rachel did not sink under this tremendous compliment but she
smiled a little. To have escaped Sidney was something. But she
reflected that Mrs. Billop only said it because she was safely out of
the way. Sidney was one of those interesting youths who remain
firmly staked in the list as safe home-prizes, guarded by their
anxious mothers, who flutter about them clucking wildly at every
speck on the horizon, lest it prove to be a matrimonial chicken-hawk
descending upon their offspring. Mrs. Billop would have clucked very
wildly had she thought that Rachel intended to descend upon
Sidney, for she regarded Rachel as strong-minded, a new woman.
It was fortunate that Rachel was strong-minded, else she would
scarcely have faced the ordeal without betraying herself. As it was,
she went through it successfully and saw most of the guests pairing
off for the day to leave her alone with Belhaven, a prospect at once
amazing and terrible. What would she do with Belhaven?
Astry asked himself the same question with conscious irritation, as
he went off in his motor with Count Massena, Pamela, and Mrs.
Prynne. Eva was asking it with a thrill of jealousy, as she sallied forth
to the tennis-court with Sidney and Van Citters. Dr. Macclesfield was
asking it with grim humor, as he disposed of Mrs. Billop and Colonel
Sedley in the wagonette, and, perhaps, no one was more
embarrassed by it than Belhaven himself.
The last guest had drifted out of the library. They had been left
obviously alone together, and as the wagonette disappeared, they
turned from the window and faced each other in the broad,
uncompromising light of noon, with only the slight screen of the
striped awning that shielded the long terrace. Rachel remembered
instantly the figure on that terrace the night before; then she raised
her eyes and met those of Belhaven. The man's handsome face,
keen-featured, clean-shaven and well proportioned, was haggard,
and his expression, as he met Rachel's clear glance, was deeply
shamed. She saw it with a quick thrill of doubt: had Eva told her the
truth? Then suddenly her cheek reddened deeply; was it because he
must marry her? The situation was intolerable. They stood looking at
each other a long moment in painful silence before she moved a
little away from him and took the nearest chair; her knees were
trembling so that she could not stand, but she was apparently calm.
"Will you sit down?" she said coldly; "I must speak to you."
Belhaven obeyed mechanically; he wanted to speak, too, but his lips
were parched, for he felt that he had a coward's part. He had known
it ever since he looked in the clear depths of her gray eyes. He was
tasting the fruits of his indiscretions and he rebelled against it, for,
like most sinners, he would greatly have preferred to go free. He
was ashamed to look at Rachel; he felt himself suddenly a moral
leper. He had never entertained so poor an opinion of himself as he
did at that moment, and he had never been aware before that he
profoundly admired her. He met her eyes at last and was surprised
that her expression was so tranquil; it was even kind,—companions
in misery are sometimes drawn to each other.
"I'm sorry for you," she said quietly, "we're in an unhappy situation.
I'm nearly as sorry for you as I am for myself, which is saying a good
deal," she added, with the ghost of a smile.
Belhaven pulled himself together. "I don't deserve your pity," he said
hoarsely.
Again Rachel felt a thrill of doubt, but she passed it over. "I'm sorry
we have to go through with it—this marriage—but it's the only thing
to do."
Belhaven was silent; he wanted to tell her that he would face the
worst, that he would not accept the sacrifice, but words choked him.
He had not courage enough; he stormed in his heart but it was true,
he was a coward! He heard Rachel's voice again and it seemed a
long way off.
"I suppose—oh, really I don't know what to say to you," she cried,
almost breaking down after her fine beginning; "it's—it's hard to talk
of it, but I suppose we've got to do it. You and I alone know that
she's innocent and you and I are forced to save her from—from the
consequences of her indiscretion!"
She broke off, waiting for him to answer but he did not; he, too,
flushed a dark red during her speech and then paled to the lips. He
was silent.
"It was her folly," Rachel began again, in a low voice, "but you—
you're a man of the world, it's just unpardonable in you; you can't
blame Johnstone for what he's done! If only Eva had told the real
truth—but she was so frightened, she's afraid he'll kill you and she's
flung the thing upon me—so I've got to save her. I'm doing it for her
sake, I—I—" Her voice failed her altogether, she turned scarlet, and
her lips trembled.
He looked up into her eyes. He had never before encountered this
kind of a woman and he was impressed. There was a dignity about
her, even in the midst of her embarrassment, that made him feel
that her soul kept a space to move in too elevated for him to enter.
"I think it's fine of you," he said haltingly; "it's tremendously plucky
—of course I can make no excuses. I don't. I love her; it's my fault;
I suppose such things have happened before;" this was a very old
excuse but he used it unconsciously; "I'd give my right hand to save
her from it all, but I feel I'm a coward to let you do this."
Rachel turned from him. Looking out into the beautiful sunshine, she
saw a busy little bevy of white butterflies skim past the window; a
bird sang persistently, sweetly; it was free, it was good to be free.
Her hands trembled in her lap; she did not look back at him.
"It will be only a marriage in name," she forced herself to say. "I'll
try to interfere with your life as little as I can and I shall expect you
to consider my feelings too."
"I quite understand."
There was again a painful silence, then they both heard Eva's laugh,
an exceedingly sweet, light-hearted, care-free laugh that was her
characteristic. It came to them from the tennis-court and Belhaven
shuddered. Rachel rose, steadying herself with a hand on the back
of the chair.
"I believe there's nothing more to say," she said gently.
He had risen too. "The marriage?" he asked, hesitatingly.
She turned white to the lips. "Johnstone has set next Thursday;
these people leave to-morrow and Wednesday; would you—" She
looked up; for one wild moment she felt that she must appeal to him
to be man enough to save her.
But his answer killed the last faint hope. "Any time will do," he said,
avoiding her eyes.
She turned away with a slight gesture of despair; there was nothing
to hope from such a man as this, and she went quietly to the door.
As she reached it, he came quickly over and opened it for her. He
had been like a man in a dream and now his face flushed deeply
again.
"I humbly beg your pardon," he said hoarsely.
Rachel bent her head and passed out. Belhaven closed the door
behind her and threw himself into the nearest chair with a groan.
"You and I alone know that she's innocent and you and I are forced
to protect her!" Could Rachel have invented a more refined torment?
He thought not. He saw himself as in a mirror; she had held it up to
reflect his image and he found it hideous. He was a coward! It burns
a man's soul to realize that. We are fond of heroics, we like to
picture ourselves undaunted in the firing line; more causes have
been won in day-dreams than were ever lost in reality, more forlorn
hopes have found a leader than there were hopes of any kind to
lead. But when the crisis comes, the hero suddenly collapses, the old
cowardly self comes out from behind the hayrick, is affrighted and
runs back. Belhaven had never known himself until those three awful
hours when Astry kept him a prisoner in that same room waiting for
Rachel's decision, waiting for a woman to save him for her sister's
sake; not even for his own sake, but for some one else's. Alone he
was obviously not worth saving; she had told him so. Belhaven, left
alone in the most uncomfortable moment of his life, began to realize
forcibly that he was not worth it; he was marooned on an island of
sentimental purpose and he had no sentiment. He was thirty-two
and he had never done a useful thing in his life unless it was to give
his old clothes to his man servant, whom they fitted rather better
than most cast-off clothes do. He had lived hard, drank hard, spent
his money hard; he would have spent all of it, if a wise and frugal
parent had not trusteed a large portion of the principal so that the
worst that could happen were periods of impecuniosity, seasons of
financial drought, like a summer after a dry St. Swithin's day, before
the interest from those trusteed thousands began to come in again.
Yet Belhaven was not vicious, he was not even hardened, and he
had fallen foolishly in love with Eva Astry chiefly because she wanted
him to fall in love with her. Like most of his predecessors in flirtation,
he did not know that that was her perpetual attitude; he supposed
that he was an exception, he thought Eva really loved him better
than herself. But Rachel knew better; something in her manner told
him that she knew better, but she did not dream that her sister was
anything but innocent. Belhaven had caught a glimpse of her soul,
he had dimly discerned the mental attitude; he knew that Eva had
deceived her and he was deeply ashamed. Yet he was not strong
enough to go out and face Astry; his three hours with Astry had
almost been the death of him; the man was as relentless as an
Indian and as clever as a devil.
Belhaven got up and walked about the library. What should he do? If
he went away it would do no good; it was cowardly and it would do
no good, Astry would pursue him and blazon out the truth. If he
refused to marry Rachel, Astry would kill him. If Eva—his mind
stopped there; Eva had betrayed him. At the last ditch, the hardest
pinch, she had bargained with the enemy for her own safety; she
had delivered him, bound hand and foot, to Astry. She was cruel.
Eva, the darling, little creature, the soft pink and white beauty,
whose tender flesh could endure no pain, whose heart could endure
no suffering,—this paragon had suddenly failed him. She had left
him in the lurch, she had gathered up her skirts and fled before the
deluge. He began dimly to understand Eva; he was slowly, painfully,
laboriously, to climb the road which Astry had traveled before him. It
is a long road and it is well worn by the footprints of many pilgrims;
he whose feet are once set upon this road, turns not back.
IV
RACHEL was very tired when she opened the door of her room and
found her maid still engaged in folding up and rearranging her
clothes.
Bantry, a tall, gaunt, Scotchwoman, was an old servant; she had
been in the Leven family before the two girls were born and
naturally claimed the privileges of long and faithful service. A glance
at her face told Rachel that the end was not yet.
"What is it?" she asked involuntarily.
Bantry closed the door and locked it, her homely face magenta color.
"Miss Rachel, that French girl of Miss Eva's ought to be dismissed. I
beg your pardon for bringing it to you, but I must,—" the big
woman's eyes filled with tears,—"I'm thinking of you, my lamb."
Rachel sank down into the big, winged chair that had received Eva
the night before. "I hate servants' gossip, Bantry; is it really
necessary to mention it to me?"
"It is so, Miss Rachel, or I wouldn't; she says things that she
shouldn't, and I can't stop her!"
Rachel still leaned back in her chair, looking out of the window. This
nightmare grew worse every moment; it was like a labyrinth to
which she had lost the guiding thread. She could not question a
servant, but she knew, intuitively, that Zélie had gossiped of her
engagement. It was not hard to divine the curiosity it must have
excited, for Belhaven had been a devoted admirer of Eva Astry's and
had never before bestowed a glance on her sister. Rachel's cheek
reddened at the thought.
"I think we won't discuss it further, Bantry," she said at last.
But the old woman was not satisfied. "You'll speak to Miss Eva,
Miss?"
Rachel looked up and met her eyes. "You think it's necessary?"
Bantry nodded. "That girl mustn't stay in this house, Miss Rachel."
Rachel turned away, resting her chin in her hand, and conscious of a
thrill of alarm. What did the Scotchwoman mean? She knew that
Bantry's intentions were the best,—nothing else would have
influenced her to even listen to her suggestions,—but she was filled
with disgust at the nearer prospect of the situation. To be the
subject of idle gossip, perhaps even of scandal, was degrading. She
felt suddenly that the guidance of her affairs had slipped out of her
own hands, that in assuming the responsibility for Eva's actions she
had lost control of her own. The feeling of unreality, so poignant the
night before, was again with her, but it clothed her now with the
fantastic shape of a masquerader; her little world was real enough,
but she was no longer playing her own part in it. Instead she had
assumed a character that she did not even know by heart, and she
had the despairing feeling that she was sure to be caught and
stripped of her borrowed plumes.
"It's not right to keep the thing in the house," Bantry resumed; "the
tongue in her head's a scandal for decent folks to hear. You can take
my word for it, Miss Rachel, dear; I wouldn't speak if I didn't have
to!"
"Well, we won't say anything more about it," Rachel replied, and her
voice, even in her own ears, sounded a long way off. The thing was
insufferable, yet, perhaps, she would have to speak to Eva.
Eva had long ago discarded Bantry as too old and too unfashionable;
she employed instead a little French girl who wore charmingly
appropriate black frocks and coquettish caps and aprons. Sidney
Billop had once been caught kissing Zélie in the pantry; he had
never done it but once, for it was his mother who caught him. Dr.
Macclesfield remarked upon that occasion that some men never
went to Hades for punishment, they found a private one in the
bosoms of their families. Sidney found his on emerging from the
pantry and one scorching was enough; he had occasion afterwards
to cherish the ancient apothegm that a burnt child fears the fire.
"Miss Rachel, dear, you're not angry?"
Rachel turned quickly and found that Bantry was in tears. She laid a
kindly hand on the old woman's shoulder.
"I'm not in the least angry, but I hate the whole business, Bantry; I
don't want to hear about it."
The Scotchwoman sobbed brokenly. "Miss Rachel—oh, for God's
sake, darling, it isn't true?"
Rachel's hand fell from her shoulder and she turned very pale. "I
don't understand."
"About Mr. Belhaven?"
"You mean about my engagement? Yes, it's true; I'm going to marry
him."
Bantry covered her face with her hands and leaned against the wall,
sobbing.
Rachel was touched; she knew that the old woman regarded her
almost in the light of a foster-child, and she realized that there must
be strong reasons for her horror of the approaching marriage.
Without even imagining the depths of a kitchen scandal, she
experienced a vague feeling of terror, a terror that was chiefly
concerned with the danger to Eva. If Bantry felt such grief at the
mere thought of her marriage with Belhaven, of what terrible thing
had Zélie accused her sister? As yet Rachel's mind, perplexed and
dulled with anguish, had not fully realized her own situation; it
almost seemed to her that some one else was going to marry
Belhaven. But now she began to appreciate her peril; she must not
let the old Scotchwoman discover the secret, for not even the
faithful Bantry could know that she was saving Eva. She tried to
assume a lighter tone.
"I'm sorry my marriage grieves you so much, Bantry, but it won't
separate us; I shall keep you with me."
"Oh, Miss Rachel!"
"And," Rachel risked adding this, "I'll speak to Mrs. Astry about
Zélie."
Bantry looked at her, almost indignantly, over the top of her
crumpled apron. Eva had not been in her thoughts, or Zélie either. In
the kitchen, that melting-pot of our social makeshifts, they said that
Miss Leven was marrying Belhaven to hush up an imminent scandal,
and the old Scotchwoman, in whose heart was a kind of fierce clan
loyalty, longed to rescue her favorite, to warn her, but there was
something about Rachel, an aloofness, a distinction, that set a gulf
between them. Bantry dared not tell her.
"Besides," Rachel went on in a low voice, "I don't want you to listen
to all this talk; keep it from the servants. Whatever it is, it's false,
but falsehoods are often believed; don't listen to them."
Bantry bent suddenly over Rachel's evening gown, folding it with
careful hands, her eyes still full of tears.
"Very well, Miss," she said, "I—I've only told you the truth."
"I know it; I won't forget that, Bantry."
"It's only right for you to believe me, Miss."
"I always believe you!"
Bantry's answer was inaudible; she bent low over the clothes on the
lounge to allow Rachel to pass without seeing that she was still
crying, for Bantry was storming in her heart against Mrs. Astry. It
had always been so, she told herself. Eva had always traded on her
sister's generosity and abused her affection.
"Jealous little cat!" the grim old Scotchwoman said to herself, "selfish
isn't the name for her; she's like an Angora when it's got all the
cream."
Meanwhile Rachel made her way to young Mrs. Astry's room. She
entered the boudoir, which opened on the balcony outside her own
window, and she shuddered involuntarily at the thought of last night.
Eva had come up from tennis and had just been dressed for
luncheon, and the French maid courtesied and left the room as her
sister entered.
Rachel came in gravely and closed the door. "Eva, you must dismiss
Zélie."
Eva looked up with a violent start, her pretty face wet with tears.
"Why?" she exclaimed, and there was a thrill of terror in her voice.
Rachel did not notice it; she told her quite simply all that Bantry had
said. "She mustn't stay a day longer in this house, Eva. Dismiss her
with a month's wages in lieu of notice. I'm sure she doesn't deserve
it, but I'd do that."
Eva trembled; she knew that Rachel was inexorable and she knew
also that she was in Zélie's power. She could not tell Rachel the
whole truth, she could not refuse to dismiss Zélie, and she dared not
resist her sister, so she temporized.
"Wouldn't it be better to keep her a while? If we dismiss her, she'll
talk more—"
"Of what? If you keep her, you practically admit that you're afraid of
her, the servants will believe her, and the end will be a scandal. Eva,
you must dismiss her; I insist upon it."
"I—I can't!"
"You can't? Why?" Rachel's face flushed deeply.
Eva saw it; she busied herself arranging and rearranging the little
silver articles on her toilet-table, though her fingers trembled.
"Well, for one thing, don't you think it's just old Bantry's spite? She's
always jealous of a new servant."
"I think Bantry's immensely good and honest; she wouldn't accuse
Zélie falsely. You haven't an idea how she feels; she's crying in my
room now."
"Then, of course, it's all jealousy; she can't bear to have you marry
and set up a household; she's afraid you'll take Zélie."
"She knows I wouldn't; besides I haven't thought of the household—
oh, Eva, how can you talk of it?"
Eva covered her face with her hands. "It's killing me!" she sobbed.
Her sister looked at her with sudden contrition. She had been
suffering so much herself that she had forgotten how much Eva
must have to endure, and her cheek reddened again at the thought
that Eva loved Belhaven, that to see him marry her would be bitter.
Yet there was nothing she could say that would make it any easier to
bear, and it was impossible to let this French girl make matters
worse.
"You really must send Zélie away," she persisted. "I'm sure that
Bantry's right about it."
Eva twisted in her chair, afraid to tell Rachel any more. "I hate to
dismiss a servant," she said weakly.
Rachel could understand this, for she hated to do it herself, but
sometimes even surgical operations are necessary and she was
willing to concede something to Eva's nervous condition.
"I'll dismiss her for you," she said quietly.
Eva shivered, watching her as she moved to the door.
"Now?" she gasped.
"At once," said Rachel, but before she could touch the bell some one
knocked at the door.
It was Pamela Van Citters. "I've come to say good-by," she
explained. "Paul and I are going to drive back to town this
afternoon."
Eva rose hastily from the dressing-table and threw herself into
Pamela's arms. "Don't go!" she cried.
"It's sweet of you to ask me to stay, my dear, but think of my
offspring. I haven't seen the baby for three days."
"What of it? He'll be all the more delighted to see you and he'll have
cut a new tooth. Oh, Pamela, stay; Rachel's going to leave me."
Pamela turned large, startled eyes upon Rachel. "As soon as that?"
Rachel nodded; she could not speak, she felt as if a net had been
spread around her feet,—a long, floating net, like those she had
seen the fishermen draw up in the Sound, and that it was closing in.
Eva turned her head on her friend's shoulder. "Johnstone thinks it's
best to have it soon."
Pamela tried to look vacant. "Of course it's the best way," she
admitted; "a wedding does hang over one so. I nearly turned gray
with fright while I was thinking of mine; it took the whole family to
screw up my courage, and poor, dear Paul says he was in a perfect
funk. Do you remember what a crush it was? I'd never have another
like it; that's what I tell Paul when I want to frighten him. I suppose
Lottie Prynne is rehearsing to duplicate hers; Paul says she's
engaged to my cousin. You remember John Charter, Rachel?"
But Rachel was gone; she had stolen out of the room while Pamela
was talking to Eva.
V
HAVING yielded to Eva's urgent request to stay a little longer, it was
not until the following afternoon that Pamela and her husband
returned to the city. Their departure broke up the week-end party,
some of the others having drifted away during the earlier hours of
the day. Of course Rachel had to undergo a second ordeal at
parting.
"I'm not going to congratulate you," said Paul Van Citters bluntly.
"Belhaven's a fortunate man."
In the carriage Pamela reproached him. "How could you, Paul? You
put your foot in it!"
"Hanged if I care!" he retorted hotly. "She's throwing herself away
and she looks as if she knew it. What in thunder do you women
marry brutes for?"
"I don't know," replied Pamela demurely. "Some ask why I married
you, dear."
Mrs. Billop pecked Rachel on both cheeks; her manner was almost
as motherly and warming as a teapot cosy. "My dear, I'd love to see
you married, but I quite understand quiet weddings are so much
better taste; when we're really in love we don't want 'the madding
crowd.' Sidney and I have ordered you a little present, a dainty
trifle." It came later, a banqueting-lamp four feet high, and it looked
like the givers. "I hope you'll love it for our sakes, dear."
Rachel thanked her and held out a weary hand to Sidney.
Colonel Sedley had ordered a farewell bouquet of orchids for Rachel
and he got through his ordeal with a red face. The colonel was
innocent of guile but he could not reconcile himself to Belhaven. He
wrung Astry's hand at parting.
"You're losing the finest woman in the world in your sister-in-law.
Oh, of course Mrs. Astry's lovely, but Rachel—to tell you the truth,
Astry, I'm cut up; I wanted her to marry my favorite."
"You mean John Charter?"
"I do; he's going to feel this."
"He's to marry Mrs. Prynne."
"Oh, damn!" said the colonel, and plunged out into the omnibus, in
which Mrs. Billop, Sidney, and Mrs. Prynne were already packed.
Astry's big, gray horses were prancing impatiently, and as soon as
the footman had closed the door on the colonel's irate form, the
carriage rolled away down the long drive from the terrace and
disappeared at last through the picturesque Georgian gateway.
The presence of guests had been distinctly uncomfortable in the
strained relations of the household, but this disappearance of the
last—old Dr. Macclesfield and Count Massena had left early in the
morning—plunged the group in the hall into a sudden panic. Eva
took instant flight up-stairs, scarcely allowing them more than a
vanishing view of her trailing draperies as she turned the last wide
curve above the landing. Belhaven retired awkwardly toward the
library, a retreat which offered only a new refinement of torment if
Astry chose to follow him. But Astry did not; he remained standing
at Rachel's side in the big doorway.
It was late afternoon and the western sun streamed over the close-
cropped lawns, drenched the terrace in light, and reached across the
tessellated floor to the hem of Rachel's white dress. The glow of it
even penetrated the shadowy corners of the large hall and the
warmth and fragrance of early spring breathed itself upon the
atmosphere. A glint caught on the mediaeval arms that hung on the
darkening walls. Astry had collected armor and carvings, curious
ivories, and hideous, little Indian gods and Chinese idols, from every
corner of the world. Here and there in the house cropped up a
curiosity or an odd decoration, but his greatest treasures were
gathered in his smoking-room. The world supposed that Astry was
an agnostic; some of his intimates said that he was a Buddhist. The
fact was that no one really knew him, for he guarded the
peculiarities of his personality as carefully as the Veiled Prophet hid
his face. He stood beside his sister-in-law and watched the omnibus
leave the gate and, traveling down the long shaded road, disappear
abruptly over the hill, as if it had plunged over the side of the
universe. As abruptly they felt themselves to be alone.
Rachel, who had rather dreaded this moment, was astonished to find
herself so tranquil. In the last few days she had become certain that
Astry did not believe Eva's monstrous charge against her; what he
really believed she found it impossible to imagine. That he could
know his wife's folly and her cowardly makeshift to save herself, and
yet force this terrible alternative upon her sister, Rachel herself did
not believe. That he had probably thought Eva guilty of the worst
was not unnatural, for the evidence, barring Eva's story about her
sister, was overwhelmingly against her. Tortured between contending
emotions, Rachel did not attempt to fathom her brother-in-law's
conclusions; she had even ceased to consider his actions. She was
wholly absorbed in the contemplation of the fast approaching event;
her marriage to Belhaven had become a terror that walked by night
and dwelt with her by day. She stood looking out into the sunshine
and counting the hours that were left to her.
Astry's voice startled her.
"Marriage is a serious step, my dear Rachel," he said calmly, "a step
that needs meditation; like hanging, it's usually fatal."
Rachel met his eyes. "I'd be glad of more time," she said quickly.
He shook his head, smiling slightly, though his eyes did not smile. "I
have Belhaven to think of; I really couldn't stand him a day over
Thursday."
Rachel made a little impatient gesture as if she had meant to speak
and suddenly withdrawn into herself. His words seemed to imply a
doubt of Eva that Rachel could not refute, and she was filled with
dismay at her own helplessness. She could not defend her sister
without impugning herself, she could not defend herself without
traducing her sister. Eva's lie had been double-edged and, like all
lies, it required a hundred falsehoods to hedge it in. She was silent.
Astry began to walk to and fro across the hall, his hands in his
pockets, his head bent. At last, just as Rachel turned to go, he spoke
again.
"Rachel, you don't want to marry this man," he looked keenly at her,
"if it isn't true,—if—I'll take your word for it—if it's not compromising
you, I want to know it."
The full significance of his words forcing itself upon Rachel, she
flushed darkly. "You don't think I'm like—that!" she cried
involuntarily.
He stood still and she felt his eyes on her.
"Then it isn't true! Good God, Rachel, why did you consent?"
She realized her danger, the possibility that his mind had leaped to a
conclusion, the right one.
"Because," she said slowly, dragging out the words, "the situation
was compromising—"
"I don't believe it! I did at first; I was mad, furious, but now—I know
it isn't true. I believe that Eva—"
"You mustn't believe anything wrong of Eva!" she cried.
"What am I to believe then? This is maddening. But I'll get the truth
yet. I can't make you women speak out, but, at least, Belhaven—"
"That's it, you've made it so—you've threatened to kill him!"
"You mean he's been a cur?"
She was silent.
Astry halted in his pacing to regard her sternly; he felt that she was
defeating him, whether because she would not help him, or through
some inadvertence, he did not know, but what he saw was her
figure against the afternoon sunshine, the subtle grace of the long
lines, the delicately poised head and slender throat, and her beauty,
which had always appealed keenly to his senses, drove him on to
exasperation.
He resumed with a new and bitter emphasis. "Rachel, there's only
one explanation: Eva hasn't told me the whole truth. I've always
thought you'd be square with me—what is it?"
She drew a long breath of misery. "I said that the situation would
compromise me now," she dragged it out slowly again, "that I must
marry him."
This was too much. Astry flung himself away with an inarticulate
curse.
Rachel stood a moment looking after him, realizing it all, hot with
shame and anger, then she turned and ran up-stairs. As she went,
one of the parrots in the conservatory shrieked out its mocking cry,
"Eva, Eva!" and she covered her ears with her hands and ran on to
Eva's door. It was closed, but Rachel opened it and burst into the
room, her face flushed and agitated, and running over to the lounge,
she flung herself down and buried her head in the sofa-pillows.
Eva started to her feet with a little, frightened cry and then stood
looking at her, waiting, but Rachel said nothing; she only continued
to hide her face in the pillows, her whole body shaking with emotion.
"Rachel, what is it? Oh, what's happened?"
"It's Johnstone!" Rachel's voice was muffled by the pillows.
Eva shook like a leaf. "He hasn't killed him? Oh, Rachel, he hasn't—"
"He thinks I'm like that! He thinks I'm guilty. Eva, I can't stand it—I
won't!"
"You mean he's been talking to you about it?" Eva was still
trembling; she wrung her hands feebly. "What did he say?"
Rachel writhed on the lounge, hiding her face yet more. "He thinks
I'm like that!" she shuddered. "I'm so ashamed, I—I can't stand it!"
"Oh, Rachel, Rachel, you won't betray me, you can't, now!"
Her sister sat up suddenly, her face one blur of tears and blushes.
"Eva, you've no right to make me so ashamed; I can't forgive it!"
The sinner sobbed bitterly. "Rachel, he'll kill him!"
"I—I almost wish he would!"
Eva wept hysterically. "It will kill me, too, that's all; but I don't
suppose you care!"
Rachel looked at her, and gradually her senses cleared, her
overwhelming feeling of shame passed into even deeper suffering;
she saw the old relations of life take flesh again, the old need to
save her sister, and she shivered.
"If you go back on it now," sobbed Eva, "he'll say I'm a liar and he'll
cast me off; he'll disgrace me so I can never hold up my head
again!"
Poor Rachel was silent.
"Oh, Rachel, I'm so wretched!"
The other girl made no reply; instead she got up and went to the
window and opened the shutter. Across the distant city, above the
house-tops and the spires, she saw the great dome of the Capitol,
and from the lower terrace came the sweet perfume of heliotrope.
"I haven't slept," Eva went on; "it's killing me, I can't bear it. Rachel,
Rachel," she fell on her knees again beside Rachel and hid her face
on her dress, "I love him!"
"You mean Belhaven?"
There was a sound of strangled anguish from Eva and Rachel laid
her hand on her shoulder. "Eva, have you told me the truth?"
There was a moment's silence.
"Yes."
"Then why in the world didn't you tell Astry the truth, too? Your one
falsehood has cost us all this misery. Oh, I'm so ashamed, I feel as if
I couldn't look Johnstone in the face again!" It was so incredible that
even to save herself Eva should impugn her sister; Astry had
dragged out that side of it, and Rachel was shuddering before it. "I
don't see how you could do it!" she cried.
"He would have killed me!"
"If you haven't sinned, why are you so afraid of him? Eva, in your
heart you're sinning against him now. You've got to give up
Belhaven; if you can't you needn't ask me to do this awful thing.
You'll have to give up Johnstone! I can't do it unless you're true; it's
too much! Have you really chosen, Eva?"
Eva staggered to her feet and leaned against the wall, weeping.
"I've chosen," she sobbed; "I've given him up. Oh, I've suffered
enough. I wish I could be like you; you've no feeling!"
Rachel looked at her in amazement; was it possible that Eva did not
know what she was suffering, what this terrible marriage would cost
her? Was she so utterly selfish that she could not only malign her
sister but sacrifice her without a pang?
But suddenly Eva flung herself into her arms.
"Oh, Rachel, I'm wicked, I'm worthless—you've been an angel.
Forgive me! Save me, save us both; we're not worth it, but save us!"
A moment before Rachel had meant to tell her that she could never
do it, that she would rather die, to beg for a reprieve, an escape,
even if Eva had to suffer, but this anguish dwarfed her own; Eva had
not the strength to take her punishment.
"Eva," her lips quivered, "Eva, promise me that this is the end, that it
won't be in vain, that I will really save you if I take all this horror to
myself?"
"I promise—" her golden head sank lower on Rachel's breast, "I
promise; God help me to keep it!"
Rachel still loved her; she tried to quiet her, she put aside her own
trouble and gave herself to the task of consoling her betrayer, and so
the night passed.
In the morning she was married to Belhaven.
VI
SOME time before his marriage Belhaven had leased an old house
not far from Astry's, but nearer the Tennallytown Road. It had once
been a tavern, but for fifteen years had been disused, and was part
of an estate that belonged to Paul Van Citters' aunt. The old lady
had turned it over to Paul to manage for her, and in one of his idle
moments he had conceived the idea of refitting it and, perhaps,
turning it into a club-house. He had employed an expensive architect
and more expensive decorators, and the end had been an alarming
hole in the aunt's pocketbook. After the first accounts came in, she
closed down upon her nephew's artistic departure, and the old
house had remained partly done over and, therefore, of two styles of
architecture. The porch, with its Colonial pillars, the long, low wing
that Paul had intended for a tea-room, and the terraced lawns, were
only half done, but the roof had been reshingled with mossy green,
the walls had been harmoniously decorated, and hardwood floors
put down instead of wide, rough planks with pieces of zinc nailed
over the rat-holes, which had served for a hundred years before.
Paul's architect had ripped out the narrow staircase and widened the
hall by throwing a small room into it; he had built a flight of wide
and handsome stairs ascending to a landing under an oriel window;
he had taken advantage of an ingle-nook and thrown out a second
wing from the original house, and had foreshadowed even greater
changes, when the aunt's pocketbook closed with a snap.
Belhaven had leased the place and furnished it simply, intending to
entertain his friends with various fêtes, over which the beautiful Mrs.
Astry was to preside, accompanied, of course, by an admiring and
docile husband. Unhappily Belhaven and Eva had reckoned without
Astry.
It was to this quaint old house that Belhaven took Rachel. There
seemed to be nothing else to do. Neither of them had framed, even
dimly, that existence which must follow the marriage in Astry's
library, and it came to them with a shock when Astry pleasantly
suggested a wedding trip.
It was afternoon when they were left alone together in the quaint
old room that had been the tavern tap-room. Belhaven had
furnished it with admirable and simple taste and, as the sun shone
through the many-paned windows and lit up the warm tints of rugs
and hangings, touching the gold frame of an old-fashioned mirror
over the still more old-fashioned mantel, Rachel was struck with its
charms. She walked over to the fireplace and, opening the little
cupboard set at one side of the chimney, revealed two deep shelves;
above the mirror was another little door and two more shelves. She
opened both.
"What delightful corners," she said dreamily. "Do you suppose the
old fellow kept his rum here and his accounts there, and mixed them
at bedtime?"
"Possibly before bedtime," replied Belhaven, with an effort. He had
been trying to swallow a cup of tea that Rachel had poured for him.
The servants had prepared a little tea-table and decorated it with an
appropriate bouquet of white roses and lilies-of-the-valley. It had
loomed up embarrassingly gigantic when they entered, out of all
proportion to its actual size, but Rachel had very simply made the
tea before she rose to look at the mantel. Belhaven could not quite
imitate her; her fortitude and her forbearance were so impressive
that he found himself watching her with a curiously complex feeling.
She was not beautiful, as he conceived beauty, but she was
wonderfully reassuring and restful, and her tranquil manner, her self-
controlled expression, the clear gray of her eyes, all seemed to
convey a message. As yet Belhaven did not fully grasp it; he did not
know women like this, but dimly, like a blind man, his soul was
groping forward to meet hers. Hitherto he had had a very good
opinion of himself, he had not been too severe on his own
backsliding, but the last few days had convinced him that there was
a reckoning, even for him. If it had been hard for Rachel, it had
been equally hard for him; he had faced the terrible prospect of
being called a coward, and he had been unable to save himself
without injury to a woman. The situation had been gall and
wormwood and, thinking of it, he watched Rachel as she moved
about the room inspecting it.
"I like your house," she said frankly.
"It is also yours," he replied abruptly, and then hated himself for
saying it.
A faint color rose to her pale cheeks. "Thank you," she said gravely,
"you're very courteous."
There was another silence. The warm sunlight, creeping across the
floor, had climbed from the hem of Rachel's dress to the belt, where
she had fastened a bunch of violets that one of the old servants had
brought her, her only wedding bouquet. Her long-fingered, slender
hand hung at her side and Belhaven saw the ring he had just placed
on it with almost a start of surprise. She was his wife, incredible
circumstance!
"I want to speak to you," he said, with an effort; "shall I call you—
Rachel?"
She smiled. "I think so; we needn't pretend about conventionalities;
if it's simpler to call me Rachel, pray do so. I can't quite make up my
mind to what I shall call you yet. Probably for a time it will be
something as cryptic as 'um.'"
"I wish I had your fortitude," said Belhaven fervently.
"Better not; when we have it, we're called upon to exercise it, we're
used as buffers by our weaker neighbors. Personally I've often
regretted that I wasn't as irresponsible as Sidney Billop. I know of no
one more care-free and sweetly untroubled; Sidney's a veritable lily
of the field."

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Answers to End of Chapter Questions

[1] Technical skills (knowledge of how to employ technology in development system

2. What are the major roles on a project team?

The planning phase focuses on determining if there is justification to build an

10. Which phase in the SDLC is most important?

11. What does gradual refinement mean in the context of SDLC?

BPM is a methodology used by organizations to continuously improve end-to-end

Step 1: defining and mapping the steps in a business process,

Step 4: creating or adjusting electronic workflows to match the improved process

By studying and improving their underlying business processes, organizations can

As a rule, when technology is applied to a process to enhance agility and provide

14. Give three examples of business needs for a system.

• To maintain or improve the competitive position.

The project sponsor is the individual or department responsible for initiating a

17. Why should the system request be created by a businessperson as opposed to an IS

21. Describe the three dimensions of feasibility analysis.

Technical feasibility looks at the capability of the organization to successfully

economic justification of the project. Here, we attempt to determine if the value of

22. What factors are used to determine project size?

To assess economic feasibility, one should:

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A second example of an intangible benefit is improved customer satisfaction.

Two tangible benefits are: an increase in sales and a decrease in uncollectible

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ii. What are the typical outcomes of the Planning Phase?

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