Mrs. Moreen, however, continued to be convincing; sitting there with her fifty francs she talked and repeated, as women repeat, and bored and irritated him, while he leaned against the wall with his hands in the pocket of his wrapper, drawing it together round his legs and looking over the head of his visitor at the grey negations of his window. She wound up with saying: “You see I bring you a definite proposal.”
“A definite proposal?”
“To make our relations regular, as it were—to put them on a comfortable footing.”
“I see—it’s a system,” said Pemberton. “A kind of blackmail.”
Mrs. Moreen bounded up, which was what the young man wanted.
“What do you mean by that?”
“You practice on one’s fears—one’s fears about the child if one should go away.”
“And pray, with whom should a child be but those whom he loves most?”
“If you think that, why don’t you dismiss me?”
“Do you pretend that he loves you more than he loves us” cried Mrs. Moreen.
“I think he ought to. I make sacrifices for him. Though I’ve heard of those you make, I don’t see them.
Mrs. Moreen stared a moment; then, with emotion, she grasped Pemberton’s hand. “Will you make it—the sacrifice?”
Pemberton burst out laughing. “I’ll see—I’ll do what I can—I’ll stay a little longer. Your calculation is just—I do hate intensely to give him up; I’m fond of him and he interests me deeply, in spite of the inconvenience I suffer. You know my situation perfectly; I haven’t a penny in the world, and, occupied as I am with Morgan, I’m unable to earn money.”
Mrs. Moreen tapped her undressed arm with her folded banknote. “Can’t you write articles? Can’t you translate as I do?”
“I don’t know about translating; it’s wretchedly paid.”
“I am glad to earn what I can,” said Mrs. Moreen virtuously, with her head held high.
“You ought to tell me who you do it for.” Pemberton paused a moment, and she said nothing; so he added: “I’ve tried to turn off some sketches, but the magazines won’t have them—they’ve declined with thanks.”
“You see then you’re not such a phoenix—to have such pretensions,” smiled his interlocutress.
“I haven’t time to do things properly,” Pemberton went on. Then as it came over him that he was almost abjectly good-natured to give these explanations he added: “If I stay on longer it must be on one condition—that Morgan shall know distinctly on what footing I am.”
Mrs. Moreen hesitated. “Surely you don’t want to show off to a child?”
“To show you off, do you mean?”
Again Mrs. Moreen hesitated, but this time it was to produce a still finer flower. “And you talk of blackmail!”
“You can easily prevent it,” said Pemberton.
“And you talk of practicing on fears,” Mrs. Moreen continued.
“Yes, there’s no doubt I’m a great scoundrel.”
In the first paragraph, which of the following is physical evidence that Pemberton is “bored and irritated”?
I.His standing position
II.The condition of his “wrapper”
III.His gaze
IV.His facial expression