"Oh, I'll promise! and so will Molly," said Cecil, in a somewhat careless and very scornful tone.
"What are we to promise?" said Molly.
"Matilda does not want to get into trouble with the authorities," said Cecil. "We can shield her from that, I suppose—that is, if she tells us the whole truth without any reservation."
Molly put her hand to her brow.
"I am quite bewildered," she said. "I never told you anything, Matilda. Oh, I must leave the matter in your hands, Cecil! Promise her anything, only get her to tell me the truth now."
"Well," said Matilda, "don't you remember one day at lecture when I spoke to you? You hated my doing so, I know."
"Of course I did," said Molly.
"Well, I spoke to you about Kate."
"I begin to remember," said Molly. "I was glad, for you spoke kindly of her."
"I asked you," continued Matilda, "if you did not consider Kate out of the common. I said that very likely she was one of those brave girls who had known poverty and had risen above it. I asked you if you did not think her one of nature's ladies. You replied that every word I said was the perfect truth. I went on to ask you: 'Has she not known poverty and risen above it?' You replied: 'Yes, she has had a noble life.'"