"Dolly, you bewilder me. What ever did you see or hear to make you think our women are not respected?"
"I dare say it is a woman's view," said Dolly lightly. But Lawrence eagerly begged her to explain or give an instance of what she meant.
"I have not seen much, you know," said Dolly, painting away. "But I heard a gentleman once, at his own dinner-table, and when there was company present—I was not the only visitor—I heard him tell his wife that the soup was nasty."
And Dolly glanced up to see how Lawrence took it. She judiciously did not tell him that the house was his own father's, and the gentleman in question Mr. St. Leger himself. Lawrence was silent at first. I presume the thing was not so utterly unfamiliar as that he should be much shocked; while he did perceive that here was some difference of the point of view between Dolly's standpoint and his own, and was not ready to answer. Dolly glanced up at him significantly: still Lawrence did not find words.
"That didn't mean anything!" at last he said. Dolly glanced at him again.
"I suppose the soup wasn't good. Why not say so?"
"No reason why he should not say so, at a proper time and place."
"It didn't mean any harm, Dolly."
"I suppose not."
"Then what's the matter?"