She got up and started walking. When she got to the corner of her street she saw that the light over the front door was lighted, and the light in the hall was lighted, too, and all the lights in the front sitting room were on. As she unlatched the gate, the front door opened and Hubert peered out. He opened the door wide and she walked in past him and began taking off her hat and coat. He closed the door and followed her down to the kitchen.

“Rose, listen to me a minute,” Hubert said. “I’m awful sorry about what I said to you. I don’t know what got into me. I had no right to say what I said.”

“It doesn’t matter,” she said.

“Oh, it does matter,” he said. “Forgive and forget.”

“I’ll forgive you because that’s what John would want me to do. John would never want me to hold a grudge, and that’s the reason I’ll forgive you. But I didn’t come back for his sake. I came back because it’s my duty to stay here and keep your house.”

She was trying to keep her dignity, but her voice trembled and she was wearing the craven smile, but Hubert could not see that, because she was standing at the stove with her back to him, waiting for the kettle to boil.

“Have it your own way,” he said. “Maybe someday your precious John’ll have his own parish and you can go and keep house for him. Then you’ll have him all to yourself. All to yourself. Maybe then you’ll be satisfied.”

“The tea is ready now,” she said.