"It will not be necessary."
At that Mrs. Moon's chuckle broke all bounds and burst into a triumphant "Tchee-tchee-chee!" He went away under cover of it. It was her way of putting a pleasant face on the matter.
She hardly waited till his back was turned before she delivered herself of that which was working within her.
"I tell you what it is, Juliana; you're a silly woman."
Miss Quincey looked up with a faint premonitory fear. Her fingers began nervously buttoning and unbuttoning her dress bodice; while half-dressed and shivering she waited the attack.
"And a pretty exhibition you've made of yourself this day. Anybody might have thought you wanted to let that young man see what was the matter with you."
"So I did. He says there is nothing the matter with me."
"Nothing the matter with you, indeed! He knows well enough what's the matter with you."
The victim was staring now, with terror in her tired eyes. Her mouth dropped open with the question her tongue refused to utter.
"If you," continued Mrs. Moon, "had wanted to tell him plainly that you were in love with him, you couldn't have set about it better. I should have thought you'd have been ashamed to look him in the face—at your age. You're a disgrace to my family!"