“It’s rather late to say all that now.”

“But it’s not too late, is it?” Nora went on eagerly.  “I don’t know what I do that irritates you so.  I can see how competent you are, and 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 herself once more in the rocking chair and folded her arms across her heaving breast.

“Here they come:  now take your punishment,” she said harshly.