“Well,” said Lise, “he’s come across—­I’ll say that for him.  Maybe it’s because he’s scared, but he’s stuck on me, too.  When you dropped in I was just going down town to get a pair of patent leathers, these are all wore out,” she explained, twisting her foot, “they ain’t fit for Boston.  And I thought of lookin’ at blouses—­there’s a sale on I was reading about in the paper.  Say, it’s great to be on easy street, to be able to stay in bed until you’re good and ready to get up and go shopping, to gaze at the girls behind the counter and ask the price of things.  I’m going to Walling’s and give the salesladies the ha-ha—­that’s what I’m going to do.”

“But—?” Janet found words inadequate.

Lise understood her.

“Oh, I’m due at the doctor’s this afternoon.”

“Where?”

“The doctor’s.  Don’t you get me?—­it’s a private hospital.”  Lise gave a slight shudder at the word, but instantly recovered her sang-froid.  “Howard fixed it up yesterday—­and they say it ain’t very bad if you take it early.”

For a space Janet was too profoundly shocked to reply.

“Lise!  That’s a crime!” she cried.

“Crime, nothing!” retorted Lise, and immediately became indignant.  “Say, I sometimes wonder how you could have lived all these years without catching on to a few things!  What do you take me for!  What’d I do with a baby?”

What indeed!  The thought came like an avalanche, stripping away the veneer of beauty from the face of the world, revealing the scarred rock and crushed soil beneath.  This was reality!  What right had society to compel a child to be born to degradation and prostitution? to beget, perhaps, other children of suffering?  Were not she and Lise of the exploited, of those duped and tempted by the fair things the more fortunate enjoyed unscathed?  And now, for their natural cravings, their family must be disgraced, they must pay the penalty of outcasts!  Neither Lise nor she had had a chance.  She saw that, now.  The scorching revelation of life’s injustice lighted within her the fires of anarchy and revenge.  Lise, other women might submit tamely to be crushed, might be lulled and drugged by bribes:  she would not.  A wild desire seized her to get back to Hampton.

“Give me the address of the hospital,” she said.

“Come off!” cried Lise, in angry bravado.  “Do you think I’m going to let you butt into this?  I guess you’ve got enough to do to look out for your own business.”

Janet produced a pencil from her bag, and going to the table tore off a piece of the paper in which had been wrapped the candy box.

“Give me the address,” she insisted.

“Say, what are you going to do?”

“I want to know where you are, in case anything happens to you.”