"And I say that if you broke into our house and stole the silver, you couldn't be more of a thief than you are this moment."
Val stared at her speechless, and then:
"I think if you were a man I could kill you. Why do you stay here?" she said, coming a step nearer with ill-controlled fury. "We aren't expecting Ethan to-day. Why do you stay?"
Julia squared her Junoesque shoulders against the crooked tree and stood her ground.
"You can, of course, behave like a wild savage if it suits you, but I'd like to know what you mean to do."
"Do!" Val dropped her arms listless to her sides. "What is there to do?"
"Shall you tell your cousin you stole his letters?"
"No. I shall tell my cousin exactly what happened." She turned to go up to the house.
"I wouldn't, if I were you. Look here, there's no reason, because our friendship's broken, that we should do more things we shall regret. You've no right because you've got hold of my secret—you've no right to pass it on to Ethan." It was an agony to hear her call him Ethan. "You mustn't tell him that I—that I carry his letters about. And I won't tell him that you—"
"Tell him what you like!"