“As if you could! Well, Julie?” smiling at her.
“We have come to have a little business talk with you,” she said, twisting her fingers together nervously and finding it a little difficult to begin.
“Delighted to be so honored,” he replied lightly, bowing low.
“It is about the—the rent,” said Julie, who wished her words would not stick in her throat. “We are getting on so well with our work that we want to begin to pay you. We thought if you would let us begin this month and—”
“And not object or scold us or anything,” broke in Hester who never could remain out of a conversation, “but just take the money, we’d feel a thousand times happier, though no money or anything else could ever express our gratitude for all you are doing.”
He still leaned against the table with folded arms but the smile had given place to an expression of sadness.
“Have you both quite finished?” he asked when Hester had stopped for lack of breath.
“We never could finish talking about your kindness,” put in Julie.
The Doctor raised his hand as if to waive that aside. “I have listened to your proposition,” he said, “because I am a practical business man and I understand your spirit. It is the height of your ambition to be independent.”
“Yes,” they assented.