I
admire you so much. I know how splendid you've been with Eddie. How
you've stuck to him through thick and thin. You've done everything for
him."

Gertie struck her hands violently together and sprang from her chair.

"Oh, don't go on patronizing me. I shall go crazy!"

"Patronizing you?"

"You talk to me as if I were a naughty child. You might be a school
teacher." Nora wrung her hands. "It seems perfectly hopeless!"

"Even when you're begging my pardon," Gertie went on, "you put on airs.
You ask me to forgive you as if you was doing _me_ a favor!"

"I must have a most unfortunate manner." Nora laughed hysterically.

"Don't you dare laugh at me," said Gertie furiously.

"Don't make yourself ridiculous, then."

"Did you think I would ever forget what you wrote to Ed before I married
him?"

"What I wrote? I don't know what you mean."

"Oh, don't you? You told him it would be a disgrace if he married me.
He was a gentleman and I---- Oh, you spread yourself out!"

"And he showed you that letter," said Nora slowly. "Now I understand,"
she added to herself. "Still," she went on, looking Gertie directly in
the face, "I had a perfect right to try and prevent the marriage before
it took place. But after it happened, I only wanted to make the best of
it. If you had _this_ grudge against me, why did you let me come here!"

"Oh," said Gertie moodily, "Ed wanted it, and it was lonely enough
sometimes with the men away all day and no one to say a word to. But I
can't bear it," she almost screamed, "when Ed talks to you about the old
country and all the people I don't know anything about!"

"Then you _are_ jealous?"

"It's my house and I'm mistress here. I won't be put upon. What did you
want to come here for, upsetting everybody? Till you came, I never had a
word with Ed. Oh, I hate you, I hate you!" she finished in a sort of
ecstasy.

"Gertie!"

"You've given me my chance," said Gertie with set teeth; "I'm going to
take it. I'm going to take you down a peg or two, young woman."

"You're doing all you can to drive me away from here."

"You don't think it's any very wonderful thing to have you, do you? You
talk of getting a job," she went on scornfully. "You! You couldn't get
one. I know something about that, my girl. You! What can you do?
Nothing."

Suddenly, from outside, they heard Frank Taylor's laugh. Nora winced as
if she had been struck. Gertie's face was distorted with an evil smile.
She seated her