“I beg your pardon,” she added, suddenly remembering, “Please sit down.”
“Thank you,” as he sat. “I will because I have something more to say to you.”
Robin and Mademoiselle seated themselves also and listened.
“There are hideous aspects of existence which are not considered necessary portions of a girl’s education,” he began.
“They ought to be,” put in Robin, and her voice was as hard as it was young.
It was a long and penetrating look he gave her.
“I am not an instructor of Youth. I have not been called upon to decide. I do not feel it my duty to go even now into detail.”
“You need not,” broke in the hard young voice. “I know everything in the world. I’m BLACK with knowing.”
“Mademoiselle Valle will discuss that point with you. What you have, unfortunately, been forced to learn is that it is not safe for a girl—even a girl without beauty—to act independently of older people, unless she has found out how to guard herself against—devils.” The words broke from him sharply, with a sudden incongruous hint of ferocity which was almost startling. “You have been frightened,” he said next, “and you have discovered that there are devils, but you have not sufficient experience to guard yourself against them.”
“I have been so frightened that I shall be a coward—a coward all my life. I shall be afraid of every face I see—the more to be trusted they look, the more I shall fear them. I hate every one in the world!”