"Oh Sister Philippe, I am sure—" said Mrs. Chloe. And then she looked at Mrs. Deborah in an appealing way.
"Miss Corbet is our kinswoman, Sister Chloe, and our brother's adopted daughter, so I see no reason why we should not call her our niece, if she likes to have us for aunts!" she added, relaxing her black brows as she turned to me with a smile.
I was considerably embarrassed, but I could only curtsy and say that she was very kind, and I should be very grateful for her notice.
"Yes, Sister Deborah is very kind!" said Mrs. Chloe. Then in a loud whisper, "You must not mind poor Sister Philippa! She is rather peculiar, but I am sure she means well."
"Sister Chloe, I desire that you will not trouble yourself to apologize for me!" said Mrs. Philippa tartly, hearing or guessing the import of the whisper. "No doubt the young ladies will find me out for themselves. I dare say Miss Corbet is a nice young woman enough, and I have nothing to say against her, though I may not have my Sister Deborah's reasons for adopting her at once."
Mrs. Deborah frowned again, and the color rose in her cheeks, but she did not speak. Mrs. Philippa, having relieved herself as I suppose by saying the most spiteful thing she could think of, became quite gracious, asked us our ages, and seemed surprised when she heard that we had lately passed our eighteenth birthdays.
"Is it possible that it is nearly eighteen years since my brother went abroad?" said she. "Well, well—and you are fine well-grown girls, no doubt, and carry yourselves well. They do you great credit, my good Mrs. Thorpe."
"I have had but little to do with their education beyond supplying them with masters since they have been with me, madam," replied Mrs. Thorpe, curtsying. "All the credit belongs to the good ladies at the French convent, where they were brought up."
"I understand you are Papists," said Mrs. Philippa, turning again to us. "But you must drop all that now. We cannot have Papists in our family, though some people, I believe, have no objection to them."
Again I saw Mrs. Deborah frown, but she did not speak.