“How has she succeeded?”
“I don’t think my father feels any love for Peter, but through my stepmother’s influence he generally fares better than I do.”
“Why wasn’t he sent to school with you?”
“Because he is lazy and doesn’t like study. Besides, his mother prefers to have him at home. During my absence she worked upon my father, by telling all sorts of malicious stories about me, till he became estranged from me, and little by little Peter has usurped my place as the favorite.”
“Why didn’t you deny the stories?” asked Gilbert.
“I did, but no credit was given to my denials. My stepmother was continually poisoning my father’s mind against me.”
“Did you give her cause? Did you behave disrespectfully to her?”
“No,” answered Carl, warmly. “I was prepared to give her a warm welcome, and treat her as a friend, but my advances were so coldly received that my heart was chilled.”
“Poor Carl! How long has this been so?”
“From the beginning—ever since Mrs. Crawford came into the house.”