“Why should I be severe, Jane?” he said. “What has the child done to deserve it?”
“I do not wish to enter into particulars,” said Lady Barbara. “But she is a child who has been so unfortunately brought up as to require constant watching; and to have her in the house does so much harm to Jane’s health, that I strongly advise you not to attempt it in Emily’s state of spirits.”
“It would little benefit Emily’s spirits to transfer a duty to a stranger,” said the Colonel. “But I wish to know why you evidently think so ill of this girl, Barbara!”
“Her entire behaviour since she has been with us—” began Lady Barbara.
“Generalities only do mischief, Barbara. If I have any control over this child, I must know facts.”
“The truth is, Giles,” said his sister, distressed and confused, “that I promised the child not to tell you of her chief piece of misconduct, unless I was compelled by some fresh fault.”
“An injudicious promise, Barbara. You do the child more harm by implying such an opinion of her than you could do by letting me hear what she has actually done. But you are absolved from the promise, for she has herself told me.”
“Told you! That girl has no sense of shame! After all the pains I took to conceal it!”
“No, Barbara; it was with the utmost shame that she told me. It was unguarded of me, I own; but De la Poer and I had entirely forgotten that she was present, and I asked him if he could account for your evident dislike and distrust of her. The child’s honourable feelings would not allow her to listen, and she came forward, and accused herself, not you!”
“Before Lord de la Poer! Giles, how could you allow it?” cried Lady Barbara, confounded. “That whole family will tell the story, and she will be marked for ever!”