I never did such a thing."
"Time you began, then. _I_ have--often. But it is no use arguing. You
_must--_or you will get poor me finely scolded. Perhaps he was on his
good behavior with you, being a stranger; but at home they expect to be
obeyed. He will be sure to say it was my stupidity, and that _he_ would
have made you directly."
"Do tell!" cried Rhoda, surprised into an idiom; "as if I'd have taken
money from _him!"_
"Why, of course not; but between _us_ it is nothing at all. There:" and
she put the money into Rhoda's hand, and then held both hand and money
rather tightly imprisoned in her larger palm, and began to chatter, so as
to leave the other no opening. "Oh, blessed darkness! how easy it makes
things! does it not? I am glad there was no candle; we should have been
fencing and blushing ever so long, and made such a fuss about
nothing--and--"
This prattle was interrupted by Rhoda Gale putting her right wrist round
Zoe's neck, and laying her forehead on her shoulder with a little sob. So
then they both distilled the inevitable dew-drops.
But as Rhoda was not much given that way, she started up, and said,
"Darkness? No; I must see the face that has come here to help me, and not
humiliate me.
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