“No, my dear.”
“Why pray?”
“I don’t know.”
“You don’t know, Lady Cecilia! why should people say they do not know, when they do know perfectly well?”
“If I had thought it was of any consequence to you, Esther,” said Cecilia, with an arch look——
“Now you expect me to answer that it was not of the least consequence to me—that is the answer you would make; but my answer is, that it was of consequence to me, and you knew it was.”
“And if I did?”
“If you did, why say ‘If I had thought it of any consequence to you?’—why say so? answer me truly.”
“Answer me truly!” repeated Lady Cecilia, laughing. “Oh, my dear Esther, we are not in a court of justice.”
“Nor in a court of honour,” pursued Miss Clarendon.