"Dinah," said Zoe, to a maid-in-waiting, "show Miss Deane to the room she occupied on her last visit. Carry up her satchel, and see that she has every thing she wants."
Having given the order, Zoe stepped out to the veranda where Edward still was, having staid behind to give directions in regard to the horses.
"Zoe, love, I am very sorry," he said, as the man turned his horses' heads, and drove away toward the stables.
"O Edward! how could you?" she exclaimed reproachfully, tears of disappointment and vexation springing to her eyes.
"Darling, I really could not help it," he replied soothingly, drawing her to him with a caress, and went on to tell exactly what had occurred.
"She is not a real lady," said Zoe, "or she never would have done a thing like that."
"I agree with you, love," he said; "but I was sorry your reception of her was so extremely ungracious and cold."
"Would you have had me play the hypocrite, Ned?" she asked indignantly.
"No, Zoe, I should be very far from approving of that," he answered gravely: "but while it was right and truthful not to express pleasure which you did not feel, at her coming, you might, on the other hand, have avoided absolute rudeness; you might have shaken hands with her, and asked after her health and that of her father's family."
"I treated her as well as she deserved; and it does not make her any the more welcome to me, that she has already been the means of drawing down upon me a reproof from my husband's lips," Zoe said in tremulous tones, and turning away from him with her eyes full of tears.