“I am listening. Do go on.”
“Well, you see, Hannah, if—if you refuse to compete for the prize you will have to give a reason.”
“I don’t see that at all. I don’t intend to give any reason. I’ll simply say that I’d rather not try.”
“Oh, but really, really! Mrs. Fleming, she’s very suspicious now. I know she’s just—just looking out for things, and your refusing to compete will certainly give her a clue, and we’ll get into trouble.”
“But how can my refusing possibly make things worse for you? You surely have got to refuse too.”
“To refuse!” cried Grace. “I assure you we are not going to do anything of that sort.”
“You mean,” said Hannah—she rose abruptly, she turned and faced the other girl—“you calmly stand there and tell me that you mean to compete for a prize which means what that prize means, which means honour, kindness, charity, love! No, Grace, you can’t do it; you really can’t. I don’t believe even you would sink as low as that.”
“I must do it,” said Grace. “I have no help for it.”
“Grace, for God’s sake, don’t do this thing, I beseech of you, don’t—don’t! Grace, it isn’t worth it; Grace, it isn’t, really! Do you know how badly I want that prize? Do you know that I have a mother who isn’t at all strong, and if I got the prize she’d have relief all during the rest of her life, relief and peace and rest? Do you think it is nothing to me to give it up; but no—even for mother—I won’t tell another lie, that I won’t!”
“You must come and see Kitty; if you speak to Kitty perhaps it will be different. Do come and see her—do, do!” said Grace.