"Oh, bother your neighbour and your duty!" cried Susie in exasperation.
"—is to help him to be good and happy too."
"Him? Her, I hope. Don't forget decency, my dear. A girl has no duties whatever towards male neighbours."
"Well, I do mean her," said Anna, looking up and laughing.
"So you think that by living here you'll make yourself happy?"
"Yes, I do—I do think so. Perhaps I am wrong, and shall find out I'm wrong, but I must try."
"You'll leave all your friends and relations and stay in this God-forsaken place where you can't even live like a lady?"
"Uncle Joachim said it was my one chance of leading the better life."
"Unutterable old fool," said Susie with bitterest contempt. "That money, then, is going to be thrown away on Germans? As though there weren't poor people enough in England, if your ambition is to pose as a benefactress!"
"Oh, I don't want to pose as anything—I only want to help unhappy wretches," cried Anna, laying her cheek caressingly on Susie's unwilling hand. "Now don't scold me—forgive me if I'm silly, and be patient with me till I find out that I've made a goose of myself and come creeping back to you and Peter. But I must do it—I must try—I will do what I think is right."