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Page 75
"I don't like to think of ourselves as working against each
other."
"Why not?"
"Because I like you."
"I like you, Mr. Marson; but we must not let sentiment interfere
with business. You want Mr. Peters' five thousand dollars. So do
I."
"I hate the thought of being the instrument to prevent you from
getting the money."
"You won't be. I shall be the instrument to prevent you from
getting it. I don't like that thought, either; but one has got to
face it."
"It makes me feel mean."
"That's simply your old-fashioned masculine attitude toward the
female, Mr. Marson. You look on woman as a weak creature, to be
shielded and petted. We aren't anything of the sort. We're
terrors! We're as hard as nails. We're awful creatures. You
mustn't let my sex interfere with your trying to get this reward.
Think of me as though I were another man. We're up against each
other in a fair fight, and I don't want any special privileges.
If you don't do your best from now onward I shall never forgive
you. Do you understand?"
"I suppose so."
"And we shall need to do our best. That little man with the
glasses is on his guard. I was listening to you last night from
behind the door. By the way, you shouldn't have told me to run
away and then have stayed yourself to be caught. That is an
example of the sort of thing I mean. It was chivalry--not
business."
"I had a story ready to account for my being there. You had not."
"And what a capital story it was! I shall borrow it for my own
use. If I am caught I shall say I had to read Aline to sleep
because she suffers from insomnia. And I shouldn't wonder if she
did--poor girl! She doesn't get enough to eat. She is being
starved--poor child! I heard one of the footmen say that she
refused everything at dinner last night. And, though she vows it
isn't, my belief is that it's all because she is afraid to make a
stand against her old father. It's a shame!"
"She is a weak creature, to be shielded and petted," said Ashe
solemnly.
Joan laughed.
"Well, yes; you caught me there. I admit that poor Aline is not a
shining example of the formidable modern woman; but--" She
stopped. "Oh, bother! I've just thought of what I ought to have
said--the good repartee that would have crushed you. I suppose
it's too late now?"
"Not at all. I'm like that myself--only it is generally the next
day when I hit the right answer. Shall we go back? . . . She is a
weak creature, to be shielded and petted."
"Thank you so much," said Joan gratefully. "And why is she a weak
creature? Because she has allowed herself to be shielded and
petted; because she has permitted man to give her special
privileges, and generally--No; it isn't so good as I thought it
was going to be."
"It should be crisper," said Ashe critically. "It lacks the
punch."
"But it brings me back to my point, which is that I am not going
to imitate her and forfeit my independence of action in return
for chivalry. Try to look at it from my point of view, Mr.
Marson. I know you need the money just as much as I do. Well,
don't you think I should feel a little mean if I thought you were
not trying your hardest to get it, simply because you didn't
think it would be fair to try your hardest against a woman? That
would cripple me. I should not feel as though I had the right to
do anything. It's too important a matter for you to treat me like
a child and let me win to avoid disappointing me. I want the
money; but I don't want it handed to me."
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