“No,” with a swift shake of the head, “not you. I—I did not know that—then. I told him that I—”
But I did not wait to hear any more.
Some time after that—I do not know how long after and it makes no difference anyway—I began to remember some resolutions I had made, resolves to be self-sacrificing and all that sort of thing.
“But, my dear,” I faltered, “I am insane! I am stark crazy! How can I think of such a thing! Your mother—what will she say?”
She looked up at me; looking up was not as difficult now, and, besides, she did not have to look far. She looked up and smiled.
“I think Mother is more reconciled,” she said. “Since she learned who you were she seems to feel better about it.”
I shook my head, ruefully. “Yet she referred to me as a 'nobody' only this morning,” I observed.
“Yes, but that was before she knew you were a Bennett. The Bennetts are a very good family, so she says. And she informed me that she always expected me to throw myself away, so she was not altogether unprepared.”
I sighed. “Throwing yourself away is exactly what you have done, I'm afraid,” I answered.
She put her hand to my lips. “Hush!” she whispered. “At all events, I made a lucky throw. I'm very glad you caught me, dear.”