“How? I shall have to be plain with you, I see. Perhaps I have not considered that, after all, you know nothing about life and are not to blame for things that a person born and bred in the world would understand from childhood. If you don't know already, I can tell you that the way you have behaved with Lord Lioncourt during the last two or three days, and the way you showed your pleasure the other night in his ridiculous flatteries of you, was enough to make you the talk of the whole steamer. I advise you for your own sake to take my warning in time. You are very young, and inexperienced and ignorant, but that will not save you in the eyes of the world if you keep on.” Mrs. Milray rose. “And now I will leave you to think of what I have said. Here is the letter for Miss Milray—”
Clementina shook her head. “I don't want it.”
“You don't want it? But I have written it at Mr. Milray's request, and I shall certainly leave it with you!”
“If you do,” said Clementina, “I shall not take it!”
“And what shall I say to Mr. Milray?”
“What you have just said to me.”
“What have I said to you?”
“That I'm a bold girl, and that I've tried to make men admi'a me.”
Mrs. Milray stopped as if suddenly daunted by a fact that had not occurred to her before. “Did I say that?”
“The same as that.”