_Miss Reed_: “For I don’t in the least. He is horrid every way: blunt, and rude, and horrid. I never cared for him. But I care for myself! He has put me in the position of having done an unkind thing—an unladylike thing—when I was only doing what I had to do. Why need he have taken it the way he did? Why couldn’t he have said politely that he couldn’t accept the money because he hadn’t earned it? Even _that_ would have been mortifying enough. But he must go and be so violent, and rush off, and—Oh, I never could have treated anybody so!” _Miss Spaulding_: “Not unless you were very fond of them.” _Miss Reed_: “What?” _Miss Spaulding_: “Not unless you were very fond of them.” _Miss Reed_, putting away her handkerchief: “Oh, nonsense, Nettie! He never cared anything for me, or he couldn’t have acted so. But no matter for that. He has fixed everything so that it can never be got straight—never in the world. It will just have to remain a hideous mass of—of—_I_ don’t know what; and I have simply got to on withering with despair at the point where I left off. But I don’t care! That’s one comfort.” _Miss Spaulding_: “I don’t believe he’ll let you wither long, Ethel.” _Miss Reed_: “He’s let me wither for twenty-four hours already! But it’s nothing to me, now, how long he lets me wither. I’m perfectly satisfied to have the affair remain as it is. I am in the right, and if he comes I shall refuse to see him.” _Miss Spaulding_: “Oh, no, you won’t, Ethel!” _Miss Reed_: “Yes, I shall. I shall receive him very coldly. I won’t listen to any excuse from him.” _Miss Spaulding_: “Oh, yes, you will, Ethel!” _Miss Reed_: “No, I shall not. If he wishes me to listen he must begin by humbling himself in the dust—yes, the dust, Nettie! I won’t take anything short of it. I insist that he shall realize that I have suffered.” _Miss Spaulding_: “Perhaps he has suffered too!” _Miss Reed_: “Oh, _he_ suffered!” _Miss Spaulding_: “You know that he was perfectly devoted to you.” _Miss Reed_: “He never said so.” _Miss Spaulding_: “Perhaps he didn’t dare.” _Miss Reed_: “He dared to be very insolent to me.” _Miss Spaulding_: “And you know you liked him very much.” _Miss Reed_: “I won’t let you say that, Nettie Spaulding. I _didn’t_ like him. I respected and admired him; but I didn’t _like_ him. He will come near me; but if he does he has to begin by—by—Let me see, what shall I make him begin by doing?” She casts up her eyes for inspiration while she leans forward over the register. “Yes, I will! He has got to begin by taking that money!” _Miss Spaulding_: “Ethel, you wouldn’t put that affront upon a sensitive and high-spirited man!”