Christa was to coax him to promise secrecy.

Ann went over the details of the plan again and again, until she was quite sure that the shallow forgetful child understood the importance of her mission.
Christa sat with her elbows on the table and cried a little.

Her fair hair was curled low over her eyes, the coarse white dress hung limp but soft, leaving her neck bare.

With all her motions her head nodded on her slender graceful neck, like a flower which bows on its stalk.
Before this disaster Christa had spent her life laughing; that had been more becoming to her than sullenness and tears.

For all that, Ann was not sorry that Christa's eyelids should be red when David Brown was seen slowly lounging toward the window.
He had not been to see them the day before; it was apparent from his air that he thought it was not quite the respectable thing to do to-day.