'But you are not my wife, Wychyou cannot be there with me now. And if you were my wife, you could not. Do you think I would let you?'
She shrank back a little, hanging her head. This view of the case had certainly not come up.
'I thoughtI supposeanybody may come and go to see sick people,' she said under her breath. 'I thought, anybody might stay with them. And I think so now. I never heard of etiquette over small-pox.'
'You could not "come and go" to these people. I shall establish a strict quarantine, and probably be in it myself. You must not come even near the Hollow.'
'But I need not have anything to do with you,' pleaded Hazel. 'I am going to serve under Dr. Arthur.'
'That is just my place.'
'You may keep it,' said Hazel. 'A woman's place is not solid and stationary like a man's. Nobody will know where I am, but some poor sick child that everyone else is too busy for.'
Perhaps Dane smothered a sigh; but he only said, clear and clean- cut the words were now,
'I cannot have you there, Hazel. You must keep your place and do your work here. The Hollow is my business.'
'And you mean to leave me outside of your business?' she questioned, with eyes incredulous even yet.