Maria, after that call, faced her future course more fully than ever. She had disliked Mrs. Lee as much as Mrs. Lee had disliked her. Only the fact that she was Wollaston's mother made her endurable to her.
“Isn't Mrs. Lee perfectly lovely?” said Evelyn, when she and Maria were on their way home.
“Yes,” Maria answered, but she did not think so. Mrs. Lee shone for her only with reflected glory.
“I wonder where Mr. Lee was?” Evelyn murmured, timidly.
“I don't know,” Maria said with an absent air. “We did not go to call on him.”
“Of course we didn't,” said Evelyn. “Don't be cross, sister.”
“I am not in the least cross,” Maria answered with perfect truth.
“I didn't know but you were, you spoke so,” said Evelyn. She leaned wearily against her sister, and looked ahead with a hollow, wistful expression.
Evelyn had grown thin and lost much of her color. Aunt Maria and Eunice talked about it when they were alone.
“I wonder if there is any consumption in her mother's family?” Aunt Maria said.