"Is that a reason why I should make a friend of Mrs. Hannay?"
"It's a reason why you should be civil to her. You will send an invitation to Gorst at the same time."
She winced. "That I cannot do."
"You can, dear, and you will. Gorst's in a pretty bad way. I knew he would be. He's got entangled now with some wretched girl, and I've got to disentangle him. The only way to do it is to get him to come here again."
"And I am to write to him?" Her tone proclaimed the idea preposterous.
"It will come best from you, as it's you who have kept him out of the house. You must, please, put your own feelings aside, and simply do what I ask you."
He rose and went to the writing-place, and prepared a place for her there.
Anne said nothing. She was considering how far it was possible to oppose him. It had always been his way to yield greatly in little things; to drift and let "things" drift till he created an illusory impression of his weakness. Then when "things" had gone too far, he would rise, as he had risen now, and take his stand with a strength the more formidable because it came as a complete surprise.
"Come," said he, "it's got to be done; and you may as well do it at once and get it over."
She gave one glance at him, as if she measured his will against hers. Then she obeyed.