“Move in?”

“You understand, of course, that resident workers are the only ones good for anything.  You will want to live here, for a year or so at least.  Naturally the sooner you can come the better.”

“Live here?  Here in the Dabney House?  Well, no,” said Carlisle, with open amusement, “I could hardly do that.”

“Ah?” said he, without the slightest change of expression.  “Well, that’s a pity....  Allow me to raise my hand and point at this wall, so; and now people will understand that I’m explaining important points to a worker, and will not interrupt.  Of course there is something for the non-residents to do, too.  Let us see now.  You can sew, I suppose?”

“Sew?...  Well—­not really well at all.”

“Too bad,” said he, keeping his broad back to the lively groups about them and pointing steadily at the wall.  “However—­I’m thinking of putting in a woman’s infirmary.  Can you recommend yourself as reasonably fitted for an assistant amateur nurse?”

“Oh, no!  No, I couldn’t do that, I’m afraid.  I can’t bear sickness.”

“Indeed?  A great many people enjoy it....  Well!—­district visitor it is, then, while we’re getting acquainted with the neighborhood.  But it means business, you know—­six days a week visiting in the homes of the poorest, dirtiest and meanest, investigating, collecting facts under instructions you will get from me—­”

“Oh!  Well, no—­not that.  I—­I’m afraid my mother wouldn’t care to have me do that.”

The man’s pointing hand, which was large and strong-looking, fell at his side, and he gazed at her with a sarcasm which he no longer troubled to conceal.

“May I ask what under the sun you can do?”

“What I can do?...”

Under his hard and frankly belittling stare, Carlisle began to feel rather small, despite her firm resolves to feel nothing of the sort.  She had heard something of this Mr. Pond in the past week:  a person of some consequence in the world, it was said, several kinds of Doctor, and the author of a work on The Settlement which was considered “standard” and which Cally had meant (since last night) to purchase at Saltman’s bookstore.  Report made him also a man of some independent means and position, and certainly he had come with excellent letters and credentials.  But Cally did not consider that these things justified anybody in being so thoroughly hateful, particularly when you could see that it was only an eccentric pose....

“That,” said she, with dignity, “is what I am now considering—­”

“But you’ve already offered to help!  I merely request you, in a polite manner, to state how you can help me, in my big, serious and important work....  Doesn’t it occur to you, in fact, that you are somewhat helpless?”

“Does it occur to you that you are being somewhat rude?”

“Does it occur to you that what you call rudeness may be exactly the sort of wholesome irritant needed by people of your class?”