Mrs. Katy sat down with a flushed cheek and a discomposed air; but Mary seemed actually to bear her down by the candid clearness of the large blue eye which she turned on her as she stood perfectly collected, with her deadly-pale face and a brilliant spot burning on each cheek.
‘ James came to say good-bye. He complained that he had not had a chance to see me alone since he came home.’
‘ And what should he want to see you alone for?’ said Mrs. Scudder, in a dry, disturbed tone.
‘ Mother,—everybody has things at times which they would like to say to some one person alone,’ said Mary.
‘ Well, tell me what he said.’
‘ I will try. In the first place he said that he always had been free, all his life, to run in and out of our house, and to wait on me like a brother.’
‘ Hum!’ s
