"I will because I have something more to
say to you."
Robin and Mademoiselle seated themselves also and listened.
"There are many hideous aspects of existence which are not considered
necessary portions of a girl's education," he began.
"They ought to be," put in Robin, and her voice was as hard as it
was young.
It was a long and penetrating look he gave her.
"I am not an instructor of Youth. I have not been called upon to
decide. I do not feel it my duty to go even now into detail."
"You need not," broke in the hard young voice. "I know everything
in the world. I'm BLACK with knowing."
"Mademoiselle will discuss that point with you. What you have,
unfortunately, been forced to learn is that it is not safe for a
girl--even a girl without beauty--to act independently of older
people, unless she has found out how to guard herself against--devils."
The words broke from him sharply, with a sudden incongruous hint
of ferocity which was almost startling. "You have been frightened,"
he said next, "and you have discovered that there are devils, but
you have not sufficient experience to guard yourself against them."
"I have been so frightened that I shall be a coward--a coward all
my life. I shall be afraid of every face I see--the more to be
trusted they look, the more I shall fear them. I hate every one
in the world!"
Her quite wonderful eyes--so they struck Lord Coombe--flamed with
a child's outraged anguish.
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