"And I'm not, eh?" said Miss Adams, angrily.
Bessie did not answer, but peeped up under the colonel's paper, to see if he would help her; but he did not seem inclined to interfere. His eyes were fixed on the paper which he held before his face, and his other hand was busily engaged in smoothing his moustache.
Miss Adams was very angry. She would not have cared if she had been alone with Bessie; but she was provoked that she should tell her she was not a lady, before so many people, for two or three gentlemen had gathered near, and the colonel's amusement vexed her still more.
"You don't call me a lady, eh?" said Miss Adams again.
"How can you quarrel with such a baby about nothing, Miss Adams?" said Mrs. Rush, rising from her seat.
"She is no baby. She knows very well what she is about, and she has been put up to this," said Miss Adams, with a furious look at the colonel. "Who told you I was not a lady?"
"Nobody; I just knew it myself," said Bessie, drawing closer to the colonel, as Miss Adams came nearer to her. He threw down his paper, and put his hand over her shoulder.
"You little impertinent!" said Miss Adams, "who made you a judge, I should like to know? Not a lady, indeed!"
Poor Bessie! She would not say what she did not think, and she did not like to say what she did think; but she was tired of the dispute, and thought Miss Adams would have an answer. She gave a long sigh, and said,—
"Well, perhaps you are a kind of a lady; but if you are, it must be a kitchen or stable lady."