“Oh, but ain’t people impudent,” Philippina began, after she had taken a loutish position on a chair. “The clerk over in the store asked me whether there wasn’t something up between Daniel and Eleanore. What d’ye think of that? Fresh, yes? You bet I give him all that was coming to him!”
The needle in Gertrude’s fingers stopped moving. It was not the first time that Philippina had made such insinuating remarks. To-day she would come up to Gertrude, and whisper to her that Daniel was upstairs with Eleanore; yesterday she had said in a tone of affected sympathy that Eleanore looked so run down. Then she gave a detailed report of what this person and that person had said; then she turned into a champion of good morals and gentle manners, and remarked that you ought not offend people.
Her every third word was “people.” She said she knew what a faultless character Eleanore had and how Daniel loved his wife, but people! And after all you couldn’t scratch everybody’s eyes out who annoyed you with dubious questions; if you did, there would soon be very few eyes left.
Philippina’s bangs had acquired an unusual length; they covered her whole forehead down to her eyelashes. The glances she cast at Gertrude had on this account something especially malevolent about them. “She is not so certain of herself and her family after all,” thought Philippina, and made a lewd gesture with her legs as she sprawled on the chair.
“You know, I think Daniel ought to be more cautious,” she said with her rasping voice. “This being together all alone for hours at a time ain’t going to do no good; no good at all, I say. And the two are always running after each other; if it’s not her, it’s him. If you happen to take ’em by surprise, they jump like criminals. It’s been going on this way for six weeks, day after day. Do you think that’s right? You don’t need to put up with it, Gertrude,” she said in conclusion, making a sad attempt to look coquettish. Then she cast her eyes to the floor, and looked as innocent as a child.
Gertrude’s heart grew cold. Her confidence in Daniel was unfaltering, but the venomous remarks made to her left her without peace of mind or body; she could not think clearly. The very fact that such things were being said about Daniel and Eleanore, and that words failed her to stop them because from the very beginning she had borne it all with the self-assurance that naturally springs from contempt for gossip, only tended to make her grief all the more bitter.
How hollow any objection on her part would have sounded! How fatuous and ineffective a rebuke from her would have been! Could she muzzle these wicked, slanderous tongues by referring to the peculiarities of Daniel’s nature? Could he be expected to go to Philippina and give an account of himself? A contemptuous smile came to her face when she pondered on such possibilities.
And yet, why was she heart-sore? Was it because she was at last beginning to realise that she was unloved?
Involuntarily her eyes fell on the mask; it was still covered with the withered rose twigs. She got up and removed them. Her hand trembled as if she were committing some evil act.
“Go home, Philippina, I don’t need you any more,” she said.