“Yes, terrible. As long as he was interested in her simply from a literary point of view, though I didn’t like that either, I could put up with it; but now that he’s got to telling her about himself, and exchanging weird experiences with her, it’s another thing altogether. Oh, I never wanted Kendricks brought into the affair at all.”
“Come now, Isabel! Stick to the facts, please.”
“No matter! It was you that discovered the girl, and then something had to be done. I was perfectly shocked when you told me that Mr. Kendricks was in town, because I saw at once that he would have to be got in for it; and now we have to think what we shall do.”
“Couldn’t we think better in the morning?”
“No; we must think at once. I shall not sleep to-night anyhow. My peace is gone. I shall have to watch them every instant.”
“Beginning at this instant. Why not wait till you can see them?”
“Oh, you can’t joke it away, my dear. If I find they are really interested in each other I shall have to speak. I am responsible.”
“The young lady,” I said, more to gain time than anything else, “seems quite capable of taking care of herself.”
“That makes it all the worse. Do you think I care for her only? It’s Kendricks too that I care for. I don’t know that I care for her at all.”
“Oh, then I think we may fairly leave Kendricks to his own devices; and I’m not alarmed for Miss Gage either, though I do care for her a great deal.”