Antonia with snapping eyes.
"I'm sorry my friends must be insulted, mother, just because I have ventured to invite them to your house. Believe me, if I had a house of my own I would not trouble you either with my friends or myself."
Tears rose to Mrs. Conway's eyes. She was so deeply hurt she could not even pretend that she wasn't; so hurt that she spoke naturally to the governess when for a second after luncheon, owing to the withdrawal in opposite directions of her two daughters, she found herself alone with the interloper.
"Young people are so cruel," she said. "What more could I do for Dolly? I sacrifice poor little Antonia, I make the house hers--and she tells me practically she only stays with me because she has to."
As Pearl went upstairs Dolly called her into her room--the first time she had ever done such a thing. But after all the woman with all her faults had the virtue of not being a member of the family.
"You see what I mean, Miss Exeter," she said, looking up from polishing her nails with a feverish rapidity. "Everything in this house is done for Antonia--or would be if I did not fight for my rights. Nobody likes to make a scene, but to ask a man like Mr. Williams--you don't know, but women--older women--married women--like Mrs. Temple--so silly—it just bores Allen; but he feels he ought to go there, and when he said he would come here instead, fancy my having to put him off because Antonia