Sally rose and, standing,
slipped the card into its envelope, an action which brought from the
older woman a curt, imperative gesture.

"What have you written there?" she demanded brusquely.

Before answering Sally carried the envelope to her lips, moistened its
flap, and sealed it. Thus she gained time to collect herself and
compose her attitude, which turned out unexpectedly to be something
cold and critical.

"Why do you ask?" she returned.

"Because I've a right to know. If it concerns me--"

"Why should it?" Sally cut in.

"You know very well that if you breathe a syllable about last night--"

"But what about last night? You came to my room while I was
inexplicably out and waited till I returned. I can't see why you
should care if that became known."

"Have you written anything about that?" Mrs. Standish demanded
insistently.

"And even if I had, and you were merely afraid of being embarrassed, I
couldn't very well drag you in without incriminating myself, now could
I?"

"I don't care to bandy words with you, young woman. Tell me--"

"You needn't to please me, you know. And I shan't tell you anything."

"Why--?"

"My business," said Sally with all the insolence she knew how to
infuse into her tone. "I think we covered that question rather
completely last night--or rather this morning. I imagined it was
settled. In fact, it was. I don't care to reopen it; but I will say
this--or repeat it, if you prefer: I'm not going to permit you to
interfere in my private affairs."

"You refuse to tell me what you've written?"

"For the last time--positively."

"See here," Mrs. Standish ventured, after a baffled moment: "be
reasonable. There's no sense in making me lose my temper."

"I'm sure I don't wish you to."

"Then tell me-"

"No."

"Must I threaten you?"

Sally elevated supercilious eyebrows. "If you like."

"I have a way to force you to obey me."

"Oh?" There was an accent in this innocent syllable cunningly
calculated to madden.

"Very well. If you will have it. Do you recall a certain letter of
introduction?"

"Why--no."

"That you brought me from Mrs. Cornwallis English."

"What do you mean?"

"Don't be stupid. You surely are not prepared to deny that you came to
me last Wednesday, looking for work, with what purported to be a
letter of recommendation from Mrs. English."

"Please go on."

"Well," Mrs. Standish announced triumphantly, "I kept that letter, of
course, and now I'