The Pit, page 339 by Frank Norris
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y didn't you, Page?"
"Why, Laura, honey, don't be cross. You don't know how rushed everything was. I didn't even try to see Landry."
"Did he seem very busy?"
"Who, Landry? I--"
"No, no, no, Curtis."
"Oh, I should say so. Why, Laura, I think, honestly, I think wheat went down to--oh, way down. They say that means so much to Mr. Jadwin, and it went down, down, down. It looked that way to me. Don't that mean that he'll lose a great deal of money? And Landry seemed so brave and courageous through it all. Oh, I felt for him so; I just wanted to go right into the Pit with him and stand by his shoulder."
Laura started up with a sharp gesture of impatience and exasperation, crying:
"Oh, what do I care about wheat--about this wretched scrambling for money. Curtis was busy, you say? He looked that way?"
Page nodded: "Everybody was," she said. Then she hazarded:
"I wouldn't worry, Laura. Of course, a man must give a great deal of time to his business. I didn't mind when Landry couldn't come home with me."
"Oh--Landry," murmured Laura.
On the instant Page bridled, her eyes snapping.
"I think that was very uncalled for," she exclaimed, sitting bolt upright, "and I can tell you this, Laura Jadwin, if you did care a little more about wheat--about your husband's business--if you had taken more of an interest in his work, if you had tried to enter more into his life, and be a help to him--and--and sympathise--and--" Page caught her breath, a little bewildered at her own vehemence and audacity. But she had committed herself now; recklessly she plunged on. "Just think; he may be fighting the battle of his life down there in La Salle Street, and you don't know anything about it--no, nor want to know. 'What do you care about wheat,' that's what you said. Well, I don't care either, just for the wheat itself, but it's Landry's business, his work; and right or wrong--" Page jumped to her feet, her fists tight shut, her face scarlet, her head upraised, "r