pollás d'odous èlthonta phrontidos planois [Transliterated from the Greek]
THERE came a letter from Joe to say that he had obtained work with a good firm within a week of landing, and would soon be able to save or borrow enough to pay for his wife and children to join him. Rita, who had sunk into a despondent lethargy, was roused to excitement and began to thrill the children with tales of the adventure before them. She quickly recovered her health and energy, and wrested the control of her affairs from Ann, who did not like it. Feeling ran high, and things came to such a pass that the two women quarreled, and Rita so far forgot herself as to fling a sneer about marriage-lines at her friend. Ann came running to René for comfort, and tried to enrage him at the tale of such base ingratitude. He was not to be enraged, however, for he had been pondering the subject of gratitude and come to the conclusion that he who lays claim to it forfeits it. He tried to explain to Ann that she had overdone her kindness and should have known the moment to withdraw. She was dismayed.
"Of course," she cried, "you would take her side against mine."
"It isn't a question of sides. You couldn't expect her to let you go on running her house forever."
"A shiftless little fool like that! I wouldn't have minded if she'd only said 'Thank you.' Not a word did she say, but just flung you in my face. And now you say she's right! I wish you'd never come, I do."
"I do wish it with all my heart and soul. You've made me be different. You've made me want to do good things, and then you're nothing but a shadow slipping away. And, oh! it does hurt so."
"Dear, dear Ann, don't you see that Rita wanted to get rid of you and didn't know how to without a quarrel?"
"Why should she want to get rid of me? Nice mess she'd have been in without you and me."
"You go and see her to-morrow, and you'll find her all right."
"I don't want to see her ever again, nasty ungrateful rubbish!"
"You won't see me again if you do. I can up and off when I like. We're not married, remember."
"You leave me nothing to say. I've learned a good deal from the people in the mews, but not their way of quarreling."
He had been irritated into the reproof and was sorry as soon as it was uttered. She was furious. Never before had she lost her temper with him, though they had had wordy passages. Now she turned and rent him: