She was not yet intimidated, but she was surprised, and stirred with rising indignation.
"How's your mother this morning, Jerome ?" said she.
"Well 's she can be," replied Jerome, gruffly, with a wary eye upon her skirts when they swung out over her advancing knee; for Paulina Maria was minded to enter the house with no further words of parley.
He gathered himself up, in all his new armor of courage and defiance, and stood firm in her path.
"I'm going in to see your mother," said Paulina Maria, looking at him as if she suspected she did not understand aright.
"No, you ain't," returned Jerome.
"What do you mean ?" "You ain't goin' in to see my mother this mornin'." "Why not, I'd like to know ?" "She's got to be kept still and not see anybody but us, or she'll be sick." "I guess it won't hurt her any to see me." Paulina Maria turned herself sidewise, thrust out a sharp elbow, and prepared to force herself betwixt Jerome and the door-post like a wedge.
"You stand back!" said Jerome, and fixed his eyes upon her face.
Paulina Maria turned pale.

"What do you mean, actin' so ?" she said, again.

"Did your mother tell you not to let me in ?" "Mother's got to be kept still and not see anybody but us, or she'll be sick.

I ain't goin' to have anybody come talkin' to her to-day," said Jerome, with his eyes still fixed upon Paulina Maria's face.
Paulina Maria was like a soldier whose courage is invincible in all tried directions.

Up to all the familiar and registered batteries of life she could walk without flinching, and yield to none; but here was something new, which savored perchance of the uncanny, and a power not of the legitimate order of things.