Ethel, moved in spite of herself, admitted involuntarily: "No. I'm not!"
Peg went on quietly: "Nor am I—in this house. Couldn't we try and comfort each other?" There was a look of genuine sympathy with Ethel in Peg's big blue eyes and a note of tender entreaty in her tone.
"Comfort? YOU—comfort ME?" cried Ethel, in disdain.
"Yes, Ethel dear, ME comfort YOU, They say 'a beautiful thought makes a beautiful face'; an' by the same token, sure a kind action gives ye a warm feelin' around the heart. An' ye might have that if ye'd only be a little kind to me—sometime."
Peg's honest sincerity and depth of feeling had suddenly a marked effect on the, apparently, callous Ethel. She turned to Peg and there was a different expression entirely in her look and tone as she said:
"I'm afraid I have been a little inconsiderate."
"Ye have, sure," said Peg.
"What would you like me to do?"
"I'd like ye to spake to me sometimes as though I were a human bein' an' not a clod o' earth."
"Very well, Margaret, I will. Good night." And feeling the matter was closed, Ethel again turned away to leave the room.