"Stop, this minute!" Deborah said. "You say that you've been doing--what he
has?" she demanded.
"Why shouldn't I? What do you know about it? Are you going to turn against
me, too?"
"I am--pretty nearly--"
"Oh, good God!" Laura tossed up her hands and went on with her walking.
"Quiet! Please try to be clear and explain."
"Explain--to you? How can I? _You_ don't understand--you know nothing about
it--all you know about is schools! You're simply a nun when it comes to
this. I see it now--I didn't before--I thought you a modern woman--with
your mind open to new ideas. But it isn't, it seems, when it comes to a
pinch--it's shut as tight as Edith's is--"
"Yes, tight!"
"Thank you very much! Then for the love of Heaven will you kindly leave me
alone! I'll have a talk with father!"
"You will _not_ have a talk with father--"
"I most certainly will--and he'll understand! He's a man, at least--and he
led a man's life before he was married!"
"Laura!"
"_You_ can't see it in him--_but I can_!"
"You'll say not a word to him, not one word! He has had enough this year as
it is!"
"Has he? Then I'm sorry! If _you_ were any help to me--instead of acting
like a nun--"
"Will you please stop talking like a fool?"
"I'm not! I'm speaking the truth and you know it! You know no more about
love like mine than a nun of the middle ages! You needn't tell me about
Allan Baird. You think you're in love with him, don't you? Well then, I'll
tell you that you're not--your love is the kind that can wait for
years--because it's cold, it's cold, it's cold--it's all in your mind and
your reason! And so I say you're no help to me now! Here--look at yourself
in the glass over there! You're just plain angry--frightened!"
"Yes--I am--I'm frightened.
Pages:
242
243
244
245
246
247
248
249
250
251
252
253
254
255
256
257
258
259
260
261
262
263
264
265
266