"You should be the President of a Mutual Improvement Society, Gwen," she said laughing. "You have got terribly into the habit of setting people to rights, or rather trying to do so. You want to go through a course of snubbing, my child. Have you apologised to Luke yet?"
"Certainly not. And you know Rachel I can't help thinking that my lecture has done him good. When I came in I saw him actually pouring the water into the tea pot for you."
Rachel laughed, but she did not inform Gwen that she had begun the training of her husband that morning. And that Luke had risen to it as if it were a matter of course. He was, in fact, perfectly unconscious that he had not always poured the water from the kettle into the teapot for his wife.
"You see I was right after all," continued Gwen. "Men only want to be taught what to do."
"You were a very impertinent little girl," said Rachel. "And Luke felt you to be so, only he is too kind and noble to remind you of it this morning."
"Well I shall remind him of it later on," said Gwen calmly, "as I have a few more home truths to tell him."
"I forbid you to do anything of the sort," said Rachel, really angry now. "You have no idea how ashamed I am of you, nor how much harm you might have done if Luke was not as good and kind as he is."
Gwen, who was helping to clear away the breakfast things, stood still with the plates she was carrying and looked at Rachel.
That the sister to whom she was so devoted could possibly speak to her in such a severe tone of voice when she had been doing all she could, as far as she knew, to help her, went to her heart. She stood still and looked at her with tears in her eyes.
"Are you really ashamed of me?" she asked with a catch in her voice.