"She was--" then she gave it up in despair.
There was no use in explaining that Mrs. Paley was thinking of the wrong
person.
"She ought not to have died," Mrs. Paley continued. "She looked so
strong. But people will drink the water. I can never make out why. It
seems such a simple thing to tell them to put a bottle of Seltzer water
in your bedroom. That's all the precaution I've ever taken, and I've
been in every part of the world, I may say--Italy a dozen times over.
. . . But young people always think they know better, and then they pay
the penalty. Poor thing--I am very sorry for her." But the difficulty
of peering into a dish of potatoes and helping herself engrossed her
attention.
Arthur and Susan both secretly hoped that the subject was now disposed
of, for there seemed to them something unpleasant in this discussion.
But Evelyn was not ready to let it drop. Why would people never talk
about the things that mattered?
"I don't believe you care a bit!" she said, turning savagely upon Mr.
Perrott, who had sat all this time in silence.
"I? Oh, yes, I do," he answered awkwardly, but with obvious sincerity.
Evelyn's questions made him too feel uncomfortable.
"It seems so inexplicable," Evelyn continued. "Death, I mean. Why should
she be dead, and not you or I? It was only a fortnight ago that she
was here with the rest of us.
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