Page:Wiggin--Marm Lisa.djvu/137

Rh sauce! Oh, I can’t remember exactly what I said, for I confess I was a trifle heated, and at the moment I thought only of freeing my mind. Let me see: I told her she neglected all the practical duties that stared her directly in the face, and squandered herself on useless fads and vagaries—that’s about all. No-o, now that I come to think of it, I did say that the children would have been missed and found last night, if she had had a drop of mother’s blood in her veins."

"That’s terse and strong—and tactful," said Mary; "anything more?"

"No, I don’t think so. Oh yes! now that I reflect, I said I didn’t believe she was a woman at all.  That seemed to enrage her beyond anything, somehow; and when I explained it, and tried to modify it by saying I meant that she had never borne or loved or brooded anything in her life but her nasty little clubs, she was white with anger, and told me I was too low in the scale of being to understand her.  Good gracious!  I wish she understood herself half as well as I understand her!"

Mary gave a hysterical laugh. "I can’t pretend you didn’t speak the truth, Rhoda,