"Edna, I'm astonished at the way you've been acting," he said in a strong, frank voice. "At first I couldn't believe it."
"Believe what?" she demanded sharply.
"You needn't pretend with me, Edna. I'm talking about Cary Sloane. Aside from any other consideration, I didn't think you could treat Uncle Robert——"
"Now look here, Anson—" she began angrily, but his peremptory voice broke through hers:
"—and your children in such a way. You've been married eighteen years, and you're old enough to know better."
"You can't talk to me like that! You——"
"Yes, I can. Uncle Robert has always been my best friend." He was tremendously moved. He felt a real distress about his uncle, about his three young cousins.
Edna stood up, leaving her crab-flake cocktail untasted.
"This is the silliest thing——"
"Very well, if you won't listen to me I'll go to Uncle Robert and tell him the whole story—he's bound to hear it sooner or later. And afterward I'll go to old Moses Sloane."