Catherine held back her mental reply to this, which was, "Yes, we should be careful whom we marry, and why did you tie up with a little rat like Danny Leitzel?"
What she did say was: "You didn't feel this crushing sense of responsibility until after you found yourself pregnant?"
"No. Before that I thought only of my own happiness in having a baby to cherish. But, Catherine, when we look about us and see what life can do to us, I wonder how we ever dare, under any conditions, to bring a child into this awful world!"
"We can't question the foundations of the universe, however."
"No, but we can question modern civilization, which produces a huge population of criminals, lunatics, degenerates, and incapables."
"Think of pleasant things, my dear!"
"I try to. To tell you the truth, in spite of my heavy sense of responsibility, I can hardly wait, Catherine, until I have my baby! I want to show you the lovely little embroidered dress Harriet sent me. Will you come in to see it and me this afternoon after four o'clock?"
"Yes."
"I'll be on the watch."
"All right," Catherine nodded.