'I think you are laughing at me, but I don't care,' the girl declared, smiling faintly.
'Because you have a consciousness of success?—in what do they call it?—the attempt to raise her tone? You have been trying to wind her up, and you have raised her tone?'
'Oh, Lady Davenant, I don't know and I don't understand!' Laura broke out. 'I don't understand anything any more—I have given up trying.'
'That's what I recommended you to do last winter. Don't you remember that day at Plash?'
'You told me to let her go,' said Laura.
'And evidently you haven't taken my advice.'
'How can I—how can I?'
'Of course, how can you? And meanwhile if she doesn't go it's so much gained. But even if she should, won't that nice young man remain?' Lady Davenant inquired. 'I hope very much Selina hasn't taken you altogether away from him.'
Laura was silent a moment; then she returned: 'What nice young man would ever look at me, if anything bad should happen?'
'I would never look at him if he should let that prevent him!' the old woman cried. 'It isn't for your sister he loves you, I suppose; is it?'