Look here, Mary," he added, suddenly, looking her in the face, "I want to have a word with you.

I'm going to talk plainly.

Be honest with me." "Of course," she murmured.
"It's about the girls.

It's a hard thing to say, but somehow--I'm a bit disappointed with them." She looked at him in something like amazement.
"Yes, disappointed," he continued.

"That's the word.