After that, Dora went around with a great air of virtue condescending
to help the wayward. It must be a burden, Helen felt, to have to feel
superior because of other people's faults. Such a negative sort of
superiority.
* * * * *
During the next few weeks, Dora had plenty of chance to feel superior.
Other unmarried girls and women besides Patricia became pregnant and,
like Patricia, they insisted no man was responsible. But they were not
complacent about it the way Patricia was; to them it was an indignity
they did not deserve.
"What's this town coming to, anyway?" Dora demanded.
"Parthenogenetic births, maybe?" Helen ventured. "No one would have
believed that we'd turn green, but we did. Honestly, Dora, I'm getting
so I'd believe almost anything in this nightmare existence of ours,
even that _you_ were about to have a baby!"
"That," Dora rejoined acidly, "is not at all likely. But are you trying
to imply that our turning green could have something to do with these
shameful births?"
"I didn't say that, but you could be right."
"Hmmph!" Dora snorted. "A lot of nonsense!"
The four girls were in the Raymonds' living room one afternoon, a week
later, talking with Helen, when Dora, who had been feeling ill and had
gone to the doctor's, walked in. She glared at the four girls.
"I'm going to have a baby," she accused them.