Of that Caleb Patten assured her
unhesitatingly. But there was work for such as her and in a place
which he would create for her. Fairly bewildered at his audacity she
found herself listening to his suggestion that she marry Caleb Patten
and become a sort of head nurse in an institution which he would found!
In spite of her she was moved to sudden, impulsive laughter. She had
not meant to laugh at the man who might be sincere, who, it was
possible, was merely a fool. But laugh she did, so that her mirth
reached Rod Norton where he lay upon his bed and made him stir
restlessly.
"What do you mean by that?" demanded Patten, a flush in his cheeks.
"I mean," stammered Virginia at last, "that I thank you very much, Dr.
Patten, but that I can avail myself of neither the opportunity of being
your wife or your head nurse. As for my inability to do for myself
what I have set out to accomplish . . . well, I am not afraid yet.
There is work to be done here and I don't quite agree with you that
it's all man's work. There's always a little left over for a woman,
you know," she added brightly.
But Patten was obviously angered. He flung to his feet and glared down
at her. Perhaps it had not entered his thought that she could make
other than the answer he wanted; it had been very clear to him that he
was offering to become responsible for one who was embarked upon a
voyage already destined to failure, that he would support her, merely
doing as many other men of his ilk did and make her work for all that
she got.
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