"Laurence never talks of it, and you know before, when Papa tried to tell me, how it was—you wouldn't let him. What was it, Mamma?"
"Do we need to talk about it, dear?" Mrs. Price stroked Winnie's hair.
"It was the talk about the town. I don't see why she shouldn't hear it! I wanted her to know it all before so that she could understand my objection to such a match."
"But we never understood clearly how it was ourselves, Perry. You know when Winnie was married and you wanted to tell her I thought it was no fit topic for a young girl. I said——"
"Yes, I know you said, but if she had known all about the thing from the start she might have made a better match for herself. At any rate, she's old enough to hear things now."
Winnie looked up and stood away from her mother. "Please, Papa, Laurie——"
"Yes, Perry, it isn't right to Winnie. We mustn't feel this way about her husband."
Winnie's little face was hard and a small soft fire of malice burned in her eyes. Though she resented Laurence, she was with him against her parents. She would have exulted in making them feel his inexorableness. Because he was strong against them she seemed to feel herself inside his strength, corroding it with her weakness. Mingled with her desire to swallow her world was a vague terror of her loneliness when it should happen.
"Well, that's all right, Vivien. I'll say nothing about her husband, but that father-in-law of hers——It seems to me the more she knows about him the better!"
"Perry, but in their house!" Mrs. Price was weary. Her smile seemed to hurt her. Her white hands shook.