And she met her at the top of the stairs, and they went together into Emily's room, the nearer one. Inside the door Martha came close to her mother, taking her hand, and saying, gently:
"I'm sorry I was so nasty to Mrs. Benton, mammie. I'll go and tell her so, if you want me to. You aren't really ashamed of me, are you? Mammie, now that everything's settled, will you do something for me? Will you ask him down here? Won't you try to get acquainted with him, mother? Won't you stop crying about it? You'll just love him, mother!"
They had sat down together on the bed. Emily was dazed by this beginning.
"Don't look at me that way; it isn't fair, mammie. I'll even— Look here! I'll apologize to Johnnie, if you want me to. I suppose he meant well." And when Emily still said nothing: "Mother, if you make me, I'll even tell dad I'm sorry. But you heard what he said! You heard him tell me I HAD to marry Johnnie. You see now what sort of a man he is! But if you really want me to, of course, I'll—forgive him. I don't want to make you—miserable. You'd understand, if you knew him—if you'd ask him to come down here so you could get to know him."
The child WAS crazy! To ask a thing like that! To suppose for a moment that her mother—— What shall I say to her? Emily wondered. What's the use of trying to talk to her? The gulf between them seemed to be widening every minute.
"You don't know what you're saying, child! Why, Martha——!"
"Well, what, mammie?"
"Why, he—is married! He isn't divorced. I don't know that he ever will be! And you ask me—NOW—to invite him——" Emily was unable to go on.
"Yes, of course he is married—in a way, mother. But that isn't anything. If you knew how unhappy he'd been with her, mammie! She isn't a nice woman. You don't call THAT any marriage, do you? Why, it's nothing but a legal contract!"
"But, Martha, a legal contract is SOMETHING—if it is only that."