'That's Annabella. Well,I don't care. You know about it. You know I can't live with Charteris.'
'Josephine, you must.'
'I cannot. You can't tell how it is. He don't care for me, and I don't like him; and I don't think, for my part, it is religious for people to live together that don't like each other.'
'This is a tragedy, not a farce,' Hazel said, knitting her brows. 'Leave fashions of speech a one side. John Charteris, with all his faults, would never grow tired of you, Josephineif you gave him half a chance to help it; but Stuart Nightingale will.'
'I am jolly tired of him,' cried Josephine with a burst. 'Charteris and I can't live happy together. I know better. And it will be worse now he has lost his money. I would rather die, Hazel. And I tell you, he is tired of meand I should think he would. If you knew the life I've led him, you would think so too. You needn't talk to me. I would rather die right off, than go on living with him; and it would kill me anyhow, and I'm not going to die that way.'
'There is honour in dying at one's post,' said Wych Hazel thoughtfully,'even if it came to that. But to sail away on a pleasure trip, with all one's dearest friends praying that the ship might go down in mid-seas!'
Josephine sat still, looking with odd impassiveness into the fire; then she remarked in the same way,
'My dearest friends don't do much praying. I guess they won't drown me.'
'You may kill them,' said Hazel. 'Imagine people watching Annabella and saying 'Poor thing!''What has become of the other sister?''O you mustn't ask about her. You know'and then heads will draw together. And your mother will see the shrugs and catch the hints.'
'What makes you care?' said Josephine, without moving a muscle.
'I believe you must have liked him a little yourself.'