" And then Louisa chimed in, "Oh no, you see this Peacock
dame was only conducted, like Princess Micomicona and all the rest
of them, to the feet of his peerless Dulcinea!" And then I heard
the knock, and I was never so glad in my life!'
'Well!' I could not help remarking, 'I have heard of women's
spitefulness, but I never believed it till now.'
'I really don't think it was altogether what you call malice, so
much as the Lester idea of fun,' said Ellen, recovering herself
after her outpouring. 'A very odd notion I always thought it was;
and Mary and Louisa are not really ill-natured, and cannot wish to
do the harm they might have done, if I did not know Griff too well.'
Then, after considering a little, she said, blushing, 'I believe I
have told you more than I ought, Edward--I couldn't help having it
out; but please don't tell any one, especially that shocking way of
speaking of mamma, which they could not really mean.'
'No one could who knew her.'
'Of course not. I'll tell you what I mean to do. I will write to
Mary when we go in, and tell her that I know she really cares for me
enough to be glad that her nonsense has done no mischief, and,
though I was so foolish and wrong as to fly into a passion, of
course I know it is only her way, and I do not believe one word of
it.'
Somehow, as she looked with those radiant eyes full of perfect
trust, I could not help longing not to have heard Peter Robson's
last night's complaint; but family feeling towards outsiders
overcomes many a misgiving, and my wrath against the malignity of
the Lesters was quite as strong as if I had been devoid of all
doubts whether Griff wore to all other eyes the same halo of pure
glory with which Ellen invested him.
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