"
"My dear, if I heeded, I should be annihilated. When he says 'My
good little sister,' I know he means 'You little idiot;' so if I did
not think of something else, what might not be the consequence? Why,
he said I was not behaving decently!"
"No more you are."
"And that I had no proper feeling," continued she, laughing almost
hysterically.
"No one can wonder at his being pained. It ought never to have
happened."
"Are you gone over to Mrs. Grundy? However, there's this comfort,
you'll not mention Mrs. Coffinkey's sister-in-law."
"I'm sure the Colonel didn't!"
"Ellen does though, with tragic effect."
"You are not like yourself, Carey."
"No, indeed I'm not! I was a happy creature a little while ago; or
was it a very long, long time ago? Then I had everybody to help me
and make much of me! And now I've got into a great dull mist, and am
always knocking my head against something or somebody; and when I try
to keep up the old friendships and kindnesses-—poor little fragments
as they are-—everybody falls upon me, even you, Mary."
"Pardon me, dearest. Some friendships and kindnesses that were once
admirable, may be less suitable to your present circumstances."
"As if I didn't know that!" said Carey, with an angry, hurt little
laugh; "and so I waited to be chaperoned up to the eyes between Clara
Acton and the Duck in the very house with me.
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