“Nothing, Barbara. Nothing.”
“Am I dumb or blind or stupid?”
“Please, Barbara.”
“Just unattractive. I know. Ive seen you with that creature. How you must hate me to flaunt her before everyone!”
“You know I only go with her to Midbin’s because he insists.”
“What about your little lovers’ meetings in the woodlot when you were supposed to be plowing? Do you think I didnt know about them?”
“Barbara, I assure you they were perfectly harmless. She—” “Youre a liar. More than that, youre a sneak and a hypocrite. Yes, and a mean, crawling sycophant as well. I know you must detest me, but it suits you to suffer me because of the haven. I’m not blind; youve used me, deliberately and calculatedly for your own selfish ends.”
Midbin could explain and excuse her outbursts by his “emotional pathology.” Ace accepted and suffered them as inescapable, so did her father, but I saw no necessity of being always subject to her tantrums. I told her so, adding, not too heatedly I think, “Maybe we shouldn’t see each other alone after this.”
She stood perfectly immobile and silent, as if I were still speaking. “All right,” she said at last. “All right; yes ... yes. Don’t.”
Her apparent calm deceived me completely; I smiled with relief.