"I tried, grandma."
"Did all that help you?"
"I don't know that it hindered. It might not be good for always; but I was there only for a little while, and I just took the pleasure of it."
"Seems to me, you was there a pretty long spell to be called 'a little while.' Ain't it a dangerous kind o' pleasure, Lois? Didn't you never get tempted?"
"Tempted to what, grandma?"
"I don' know! To want to live easy."
"Would that be wrong?" said Lois, putting her soft cheek alongside the withered one, so that her wavy hair brushed it caressingly. Perhaps it was unconscious bribery. But Mrs. Armadale was never bribed.
"It wouldn't be right, Lois, if it made you want to get out o' your duties."
"I think it didn't, grandma. I'm all ready for them. And your dinner is the first thing. Madge and Charity—you say they are gone to New Haven?"
"Charity's tooth tormented her so, and Madge wanted to get a bonnet; and they thought they'd make one job of it. They didn't know you was comin' to-day, and they thought they'd just hit it to go before you come. They won't be back early, nother."