In Approval of Women 205

“ Otherwise,” asked Gavin, the dejected, “ you
would not have come back to the well?”

“ Certainly not.”

“TI am very sorry. Had you waited another
moment I should have been gone.”

This was said in apology, but the wilful
Egyptian chose to change its meaning.

“You have no right to blame me for disturbing
you,” she declared, with warmth.

“I did not. I only —~”

“You could have been a mile away by this
time. Nanny wanted more water.”

Babbie scrutinised the minister sharply as she
made this statement. Surely her conscience
troubled her, for on his not answering imme-
diately she said, “Do you presume to disbelieve
me? What could have made me return except
to fill the pans again?”

“Nothing,” Gavin admitted, eagerly, “and I
assure you —”’

Babbie should have been grateful to his dense-
ness, but it merely set her mind at rest.

“Say anything against me you choose,” she
told him. “Say it as brutally as you like, for I
won’t listen.”

She stopped to hear his response to that, and
she looked so cold that it almost froze on Gavin’s
lips.

Me I had no right,” he said, dolefully, “to speak
to you as I did.”

“You had not,” answered the proud Egyptian.
She was looking away from him to show that his
repentance was not even interesting to her. How-
ever, she had forgotten already not to listen.