She instinctively followed a religious appeal with a sentimental one. But her speech had so much anger mixed with the pathos, that it left Janet cold.
"I hope you won't get upset about me again, mother," she said, unemotionally. "I'm quite old enough to take care of myself—"
"You'd better go to your room, Janet!" exclaimed Emily, "before you kill mother with your cruel selfishness."
"I'm not aware that I'm under orders to you, Emily, or that you've the right to play the Pharisee because you're content to lead a stagnant, hole-in-the-corner life. If you wanted anything you'd disobey mother fast enough. Only you happen to have no wants. And you make a virtue of your necessity. I have plenty of wants. And you persuade mother that my necessity is a vice."
"Be as theatrical as possible, Janet!" said Emily. "Why don't you add that I poisoned mother's mind against you?"
"You didn't have to carry coals to Newcastle, Emily. You merely had to fan the flame in your own sweet, sisterly way."
Mrs. Barr checked them both with an autocratic wave of her hand.
"You need not abuse Emily, or me either," she decreed, black-browed. "There is absolutely nothing more to be said. Either you respect my wishes about your comings and goings, or you leave my house."
"Mother, do you really propose to put me out for refusing to submit to an arbitrary wish?"
"I should think I had fallen far short of my duty, if I did not guard my children against sensual folly—"