Wasn't it an extraordinary, an indelicate thing
to do?"
Ashe studied the frowning lady a moment--so large and daunting in her
black silk and white lace. She seemed to suggest all those aspects of
the English Sunday for which he had most secret dislike--its Pharisaism
and dulness and heavy meals. He felt himself through and through Lady
Kitty's champion.
"I should have thought it very natural," was his reply.
Lady Grosville threw up her hands.
"Natural!--when she knows--"
"How can she know?" cried Ashe, hotly. "How can such a child know or
guess anything? She only knows that there is some black charge against
her mother, on which no one will enlighten her. How can they? But
meanwhile her mother is ostracized, and she feels herself dragged into
the disgrace, not understanding why or wherefore. Could anything be more
pathetic--more touching?"
In his heat of feeling he got up, and began to pace up and down. Lady
Grosville's countenance expressed first astonishment--then wavering.
"Oh--of course, it's very sad," she said--"extremely sad. But I should
have thought Kitty was clever enough to understand at least that Alice
must have some grave reason for breaking with her mother--"
"Don't you all forget what a child she is," said Ashe, indignantly--"not
yet nineteen!"
"Yes, that's true," said Lady Grosville, grudgingly.
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