"It is easy for people who have no feeling to be forgiving," said Mrs. Van Horn.
"That is not the case with Letty, at any rate," returned Agnes. "She may not feel things as deeply as I do,—indeed, few people are like me in that respect,—but it is not right to say that she has no feeling. She has always been very kind to Madge."
"Oh, yes, because she could make use of her as a spy to find out what was going on in the family," said Mrs. Van Horn. "But I am surprised that you should talk of her being forgiving, Agnes. You don't mean to say, I suppose, that she was in the right all along, and that you and your husband were in the wrong?"
"No; of course not," replied Agnes. "But there were hard things said, and Joe treated her very improperly, that must be confessed: and, right or wrong, it shows a good spirit in her that she should be willing to make the first advances. And then the blanket is so very pretty!" she added, spreading it out. "I never, in all my life, saw any thing in more perfect taste. It is much prettier than the one Mrs. Booth had made in New York."
"Pretty or not, it is rather a pity that you should sacrifice your dignity to such a trifle," said Mrs. Van Horn; "and, I must say, you will do so most decidedly if you accept a present from such a source."
"I can take care of my own dignity, thank you," said Agnes, with some asperity.
"Oh, very well. I am sure I don't want to interfere,—only I don't think Mr. Emerson will be very well pleased with what you are doing."
"It is not absolutely necessary that Mr. Emerson should know all about my baby-things," said Agnes, considerably vexed, and determined to hold her own, as she said. "I don't want any one telling me how to behave to my husband."
"Oh, well, you mustn't excite yourself," said Mrs. Van Horn, soothingly: "that would be very bad both for you and the baby. I am sure it is very amiable in you to accept this present,—a very pretty one it is, to be sure,—and, as you say, Mr. Emerson need not know about it."
Nevertheless, Mrs. Van Horn was fully determined in her own mind that it should not be her fault if Mr. Emerson did not know all about the matter directly. Accordingly, she made an errand to the counting-room, as Joe called a little glass case with a private entrance at the back of the store.