"Then you didn't say it?"
"Let me see what you are talking about," she said, craning her neck to see the print. "Oh that! Yes, Mrs. Walton asked me to say something to show how natural it is, and how right, you know, for women to keep a store, do the sedentary things while men do the hard things—till the ground, and all that. Did you read——"
"No, by Gad! I didn't read far enough to see that you wanted me to become a day labourer!"
"Oh, I wasn't speaking of you, dear, I was just promulgating one of the theories of our movement. I was so flattered when Mrs. Walton asked me——"
"Your movement be damned, Mabel! Enough of a thing is enough. You will resign to-morrow from this plagued movement which is carrying us all to the devil!"
"But, Martin, I can't; I'm chairman of the Finance Committee. Mrs. Walton——"
"Don't let me hear that old viper's name again in this house. She's the serpent in this town tempting the last one of you to——"
"I can't have you speak disrespectfully of our chief, dear," said Mabel with frigid dignity.
"And what's your husband, I'd like to know!"
"Why, you, you are just my husband, Martin, as I used to be just your wife!"