"Then why are you so particular about it?"
"The others are English——" She knew she had made an unfortunate speech the moment the words had left her lips and hastened to modify it. "He'll like to see me humiliated. He looks upon women as dirt. He's—— Oh, I don't know, but not before him!"
"It'll do you a world of good to be taken down a peg or two, my lady."
"Oh, how heartless, how cruel!"
"Go on, Ed. I want to get on with my work."
"Why do you humiliate me like this?" asked Nora after the door had closed on her brother. Gertie had seated herself, very erect and judicial, in one of the rocking chairs.
"You came here and thought you knew everything, I guess. But you didn't know who you'd got to deal with."
"I was a stranger and homeless. If you'd had any kindness, you wouldn't have treated me so. I wanted to be fond of you."
"You," scoffed Gertie. "You despised me before you ever saw me."
Nora made a despairing gesture. Even now the men might be on the way, but she had a more unselfish motive for wishing to placate Gertie. Anything rather than bring that look of pain she had seen for the first time that day into her brother's eyes. She staked everything on one last appeal.