And Mary could not but feel a
keen resentment to think that her story, such as it was, the story which
she had only now heard in her own person, should be discussed by such
people. But the speaker had a look of kindness, and, so far as could be
seen, of perplexity and fretted anxiety in her face, and had been in a
hurry, but stopped herself in order to show her interest. "I wonder," she
said impulsively, "that you can come here and look at the place again,
after all that has passed."
"I never thought," said Mary, "that there could be--any objection."
"Oh, how can you think I mean that?--how can you pretend to think so?"
cried the other, impatiently. "But after you have been treated so
heartlessly, so unkindly,--and left, poor thing! they tell me, without a
penny, without any provision--"
"I don't know you," cried Mary, breathless with quick rising passion. "I
don't know what right you can have to meddle with my affairs."
The lady stared at her for a moment without speaking, and then she said,
all at once, "That is quite true,--but it is rude as well; for though I
have no right to meddle with your affairs, I did it in kindness, because
I took an interest in you from all I have heard."
Mary was very accessible to such a reproach and argument. Her face
flushed with a sense of her own churlishness.
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