"Oh, Ethan, I was never tired for the smallest little bit of an instant. Kiss me! kiss me!" She clung about his neck. "It was only that I was tired of Julia's high laugh, and—and tired of her altogether!" she burst out.
"Then why do you have her here?" he asked, without a moment's hesitation.
"Oh, only because you like her so much," Val said, with her old childish frankness.
"As to that, I like her well enough. She's provincial, but she's lively and good-tempered. However, if she's got on your nerves, I don't want her about."
"It would be very selfish of me—" Val began, with reluctantly righteous air.
"Nonsense. How long do you want to stay here, anyhow?"
"Do you mean you're ready to go away?" she asked, her lips parting and her white teeth gleaming in a half incredulous smile.
"I do call that ingratitude."
"Of course I know it was for my sake at first—"
"First and last, Mrs. Gano; though what good it does Emmie—"