“Yes, my lady.”
“There: I need say no more; you are very sorry, are you not?”
“Ye-yes, my lady.”
“Then mind, I shall expect you to do credit to my interference, for her ladyship will be exceedingly angry if anything of this kind occurs again. Now, you will try?”
“Ye-yes, my lady,” sobbed poor Dolly, “I’ll try; but you don’t know, miss, how hard it is. Some day you may feel as I do, and then you’ll be sorry you scolded me so much.”
“Silence, Dolly; I have not scolded you so much. I have only interfered to save you from ruin and disgrace.”
“Ruin and disgrace, my lady?”
“Yes, you foolish girl. You could not marry such a man as that. There, now go downstairs—no, go to your own room and bathe your eyes before you go down. I feel quite ashamed of you.”
“Yes, my lady, so do I,” sobbed Dolly. “I’m afraid I’m a very wicked girl, and father will never forgive me; but I can’t help it, and—Ow—ow—ow!”
“Dolly! Dolly! Dolly! There, do go to your room,” cried Maude impatiently, and the poor girl went sobbing away, leaving her mistress to sit thinking pensively of what she had said.