"There need never be a time in your life when I won't be able to gratify your least wish, if you will let me."
When he was putting on his coat, he asked me what sort of position I had, and I told him it was pretty bad. He said he wished me to go down to see Mr. Forman, the president of a large wholesale dry-goods firm. He added that he had heard of a good position there—short hours and good salary. I was delighted, and asked him if he thought I'd get the position, and he smiled and said he thought I would.
He was drawing on his gloves and was nearly ready to go when he asked his next question, and that was whether I had made any new acquaintances; what men I had met, and whether I had been out anywhere with any particular man. He usually asked me those questions first of all, and then would keep on about them all through his visit. I hesitated, for I was reluctant to tell him about Bennet. He roughly took me by the shoulder when I did not answer him at once, and he said:
"Well, with whom have you been going out?"
I told him about Bennet, but only about his coming to see me, his reading to me, and of my going to his and Butler's rooms, and to Hull House. He stared at me so peculiarly while I was speaking that I thought he was angry with me, and he suddenly took off his coat and hat and sat down again.
"Why didn't you tell me about this chap before?" he asked me suddenly.
"I thought you wouldn't be interested," I quibbled.
"That is not true, Nora," he said. "You knew very well I would."
He leaned forward in the chair, with his hands gripped together, and stared at the fire, and then he said almost as if to himself:
"If I had come on, this wouldn't have happened."