“I’m afraid you must believe it, unless your son changes his mind,” said Miss Scott with great gentleness.
“Oh, he shall change his mind! Never fear! A governess! There are laws to prevent such things—I’m sure there are!”
“And a foundling, too,” said Ellen, more sweetly than ever. “I’m sure you will think that makes it much worse,” she added, as Lady Jane stopped suddenly in her walk and glared at her. “Yes, I was left on Mr. Scott’s doorstep early one morning when I was a baby, and he adopted me and gave me his name, and called me Ellen. It’s rather dreadful, isn’t it?”
“Dreadful! It’s vile, the way you have played on his feelings in secret and led him to this! But, thank Heaven, he is my son. He must have some sense, somewhere!”
“He has a great deal,” said Miss Scott, unmoved. “I’m sure of it.”
“If anything could make matters worse, it is your brazen assurance,” cried Lady Jane, beside herself. “There is no reason why I should put up with it another moment, and I shall expect you to leave the house in an hour. Do you understand?”
“I was going to ask your leave to do so,” answered Ellen; “for the truth is, I have some very urgent business in town, and my solicitors have written begging me to come at once.”
Lady Jane’s face assumed an expression of blank astonishment. “Your solicitors! What nonsense is this?”
“In view of the fact that Lionel has told you about our engagement, it may have some importance—even in your eyes.”
There was something so extraordinarily calm about the young person’s manner, that Lady Jane began to take another view of the matter. “I believe you must be an escaped lunatic,” she said with deliberation, and fixing her cold eyes on the governess’s pretty face.