‘I don’t believe one word of it.’
‘I can only say she told me so,’ said William Henry simply.
Margaret did not give much credit to the assertion of this lady, but she believed what William Henry said. After all, the poor young fellow had probably meant no harm, nor even dreamt of the meshes into which this designing female would have drawn him. He had only been indiscreet and a little surreptitious, and had been rated enough.
‘You don’t know what these actresses are, Willie,’ she said gravely, ‘nor what pleasure they take in making misery and estrangements between honest people. Nothing this woman would like better, I’m sure of it, than to come between you and me.’
‘My dear Margaret, how can you say such things? If you had only seen her!’
‘I don’t want to see her,’ interpolated Margaret quickly.
‘A person entirely devoted to her profession, in which she is justly held in the highest esteem.’
‘I don’t deny that she is a good actress,’ returned Margaret significantly; ‘indeed I have no doubt of it.’
‘And she spoke of you so kindly.’