Dr. Grey complied; and, laying her shrunken hand on her brother’s knee, Miss Jane said, hesitatingly,—
“My dear boy, I don’t know whether I ought to tell you, and, indeed, I do not see my way clearly; but you seem so unsuspecting that I think it is my duty to talk to you.”
“Pray come to the point, dear Janet. Your exordium is very tantalizing. Tell me frankly what disturbs you.”
“It pains me to call your attention to a fact that I know cannot fail to produce annoyance.”
He put his arm around her, and, drawing her head to his shoulder, answered, tenderly,—
“My precious sister, I have seen for some days that you were perplexed and anxious, but I abstained from questioning you because I felt assured whenever you deemed it best to confide in me, you would voluntarily unburden your heart. Now lay all your troubles upon me, and keep back nothing. Has Salome grieved you?”
“Oh, the child does not intend to grieve me! Ulpian, can’t you imagine what makes her unhappy, and restless, and contrary?”
“She is very wayward, passionate, and obstinate, and any restraint upon her whims is peculiarly irksome and intolerable to her; but I believe she is really striving to correct the unfortunate defects in her character. She evidently dislikes our guests, and this proves a continual source of disquiet to her; for, while she endeavors to treat them courteously, I can see that she would be excessively rude if she dared to indulge her antipathies.”
“Do you know why she dislikes Muriel so intensely?”