"Everybody felt as if it was," responded she quickly. "I hope you don't
set up to be wiser than everybody else put together."
"I don't set up for anything," I declared, "but I may as well confess
that I see no sense in what you say. Here's a human creature that needs
help, and it seems to be my place to help her."
"It's a nice occupation for the daughter of Judge Privet to be nursing a
disreputable thing like a Brownrig."
"A Privet," I answered, "is likely to be able to stand it. You wouldn't
let the girl die alone, would you?"
"She wasn't alone. Mrs. Bagley was here."
"You wouldn't let her die with Mrs. Bagley, then?"
Mrs. Webbe looked me straight in the eye for a moment, with a look as
hard as polished steel.
"Yes," she said, "I would."