“Stand what?” demanded Mabella, a little irritated by Vashti’s ponderosity of manner.
“That exhibition,” said Vashti with a gesture to the forlorn house, which somehow looked pitiably naked and unsheltered. “It was disgusting! To go about petting people like that is putting a premium upon vice.”
Mabella laughed.
“You dear old Vashti,” she said, “you said that as if you had been the preacher himself—what the world could I say to her? standing there with that poor child.” A sudden break interrupted her speech. “Oh, Vashti,” she said, “isn’t it terrible? Think of that baby; what a difference between it and Dorothy! And so poor—so very poor; without even a name; Vashti—you’re a lot cleverer than me; you don’t think, do you, that they will be judged alike? You don’t think there will be one rule for all? There will be allowances made, won’t there?”
“I wonder at you, Mabella,” said Vashti, “putting yourself in a state over that girl and her brat! It’s easy seeing you’ve precious little to trouble you or you’d never carry on about Ann Serrup; a bad lot the Serrups are, root and branch; bad they are and bad they’ll be. The Ethiopian don’t change his spots! and as for crying and carrying on about her! take care, Mabella, that you are not sent something to cry for—take care.” The last ominous words uttered in Vashti’s full rich voice made Mabella tremble. Ah—she knew and Vashti knew how great cause she already had to weep.
“How can you talk to me like that?” she said to Vashti passionately; “how can you? One would think you would be glad to see me in trouble. If it’s any satisfaction to you to know it I may as well tell you that——” Mabella arrested her speech with crimson cheeks. What had she been about to do? To betray Lanty for the sake of stinging Vashti into shame.
“Dear me,” said Vashti coolly; “you are growing very uncertain, Mabella!”
“Yes, I know,” stammered Mabella. “Forgive me, Vashti.”
“Oh! It doesn’t matter about my forgiveness,” said Vashti; “but it’s a pity to let yourself get into that excitable state.”
They were near the spot where their ways parted.