"Yes, I'll teach him," said Margaret, herself more hopeful; for must always improves with acquaintance. "I'll make him over completely. Oh, he's not so bad as they think—not by any means."
Lucia made an exaggerated gesture of shivering.
"He gets on my nerves," said she. "He's so horribly abrupt and ill-mannered."
"Yes, I'll train him," said Margaret, musing aloud. "He doesn't especially fret my nerves. A woman gets a good, strong nervous system—and a good, strong stomach—after she has been out a few years." She laughed. "And he thinks I'm as fine and delicate as—as—"
"As you look," suggested Lucia.
"As I look," accepted Margaret. "How we do deceive men by our looks! Really, Lucia, HE'S far more sensitive than I—far more."
"That's too silly!"
"If I were a millionth part as coarse as he is he'd fly from me. Yet I'm not flying from him."
This was unanswerable. Lucia rejoined: "When are you going to—to do it?"
"Right away.... I want to get it over with. I can't stand the suspense.... I can't stand it!" And Lucia was awed and silenced by the sudden, strained look of anguish almost that made Margaret's face haggard and her eyes wild.