y
not blame her, Susie, for having allowed all this? As though she could
prevent it! Or would they expect her to stay with Anna in this place
till she should marry? As though anybody would ever marry such a
lunatic! "Mad, mad, mad!" cried Susie, wringing her hands.

"I was afraid that you wouldn't like it," said the culprit on the floor,
watching her with a distressed face.

"Like it? Oh--mad, mad!" And she continued to walk and wring her hands.

"Well, you'll stay, then," she said, suddenly stopping in front of Anna,
"I know you well enough, and shall waste no breath arguing. That
infatuated old man's money has turned your head--I didn't know it was so
weak. But look into your heart when I am gone--you'll have time enough
and quiet enough--and ask yourself honestly whether what you are going
to do is a proper way of paying back all I have done for you, and all
the expense you have been. You know what my wishes are about you, and
you don't care one jot. Gratitude! There isn't a spark of it in your
whole body. Never was there a more selfish creature, and I can't believe
that ingratitude and selfishness are the stuff that makes saints. Don't
dare to talk any more rot about duty to your neighbour to me. An
Englishwoman to come and spend her money on German charities----"

"It's German money," murmured Anna.

"And to _live_ here--to live _here_--oh, mad, mad!" And Susie's
indignation threatening to choke her, she resumed her walk and her
gesticulations, her high heels tapping furiously on the bare boards.

She longed to take Letty and Miss Leech away with her that very morning,
and punish Anna by leaving her entirely alone; but she did not dare
because of Peter. Peter was always on Anna's side when there were
differences, and would be sure to do something dreadful when he heard of
it--perhaps come and live here too, and never go back to his wife any
more. Oh, these half Germans! Why had she married into a family with
such a taint in its blood? "You will have to have some one here," she
said, turning on Anna, who still sat on the floor by the sofa, a look on
her face of apology and penitence mixed with firmness that Susie well
knew. "How can you stay here alone? I shall leave Miss Leech with you
till the end of the holidays, though I hate to seem to encourage you;
but then you see I do my duty and always have, though I don't talk about
it. When I get home I shall look for some elderly woman who won't mind
coming here a