"I trust I shall never insult them!"
"Well, I'm as peaceable as most," said Lizzie, "but I often felt glad already that we live a little piece away from Jennie and Sadie, though I know I oughtn't to say it.'
"But I still don't see, Lizzie, why you keep this room air-tight because they don't like fresh air," said Margaret, puzzled. "Do you mean you'd rather damage your baby than have them quarrel with you?"
"Well, I open up as soon as they go. You see if they ever get mad at me, they'd cut our children out of their will."
"Their will? I thought Daniel supported them."
Lizzie stared incredulously. "Danny supported them?" she repeated hoarsely. "Och, my souls! You thought that! As if he would!"
Lizzie looked so contemptuous of Margaret's intelligence that the latter realized their opinion of each other's brilliancy was mutual.
"But," Margaret argued, "Daniel would have to support them if they were penniless. They are too old to support themselves."
"They have their own good incomes this long time already," stated Lizzie. "Do you mean to say," she asked wonderingly, "that you thought they hadn't anything and yet you didn't mind Daniel's keeping them at his house with you there?"
"Why should that make any difference to me—their 'having' anything?"