She spoke with a bitterness of tone which satisfied me that the scandal

of the Moonstone had been in some way recalled to her mind. "I have no

more to say," she added, wearily, not addressing the words to anyone

in particular, and looking away from us all, out of the window that was

nearest to her.

Mr. Ablewhite got upon his feet, and pushed away his chair so violently

that it toppled over and fell on the floor.

"I have something more to say on my side," he announced, bringing down

the flat of his hand on the table with a bang. "I have to say that if my

son doesn't feel this insult, I do!"

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Rachel started, and looked at him in sudden surprise.

"Insult?" she repeated. "What do you mean?"

"Insult!" reiterated Mr. Ablewhite. "I know your motive, Miss Verinder,

for breaking your promise to my son! I know it as certainly as if you

had confessed it in so many words. Your cursed family pride is insulting

Godfrey, as it insulted ME when I married your aunt. Her family--her

beggarly family--turned their backs on her for marrying an honest man,

who had made his own place and won his own fortune. I had no ancestors.

I wasn't descended from a set of cut-throat scoundrels who lived by

robbery and murder. I couldn't point to the time when the Ablewhites

hadn't a shirt to their backs, and couldn't sign their own names. Ha!

ha! I wasn't good enough for the Herncastles, when I married. And now,

it comes to the pinch, my son isn't good enough for YOU. I suspected it,

all along. You have got the Herncastle blood in you, my young lady! I

suspected it all along."

"A very unworthy suspicion," remarked Mr. Bruff. "I am astonished that

you have the courage to acknowledge it."

Before Mr. Ablewhite could find words to answer in, Rachel spoke in a

tone of the most exasperating contempt.

"Surely," she said to the lawyer, "this is beneath notice. If he can

think in THAT way, let us leave him to think as he pleases."

From scarlet, Mr. Ablewhite was now becoming purple. He gasped for

breath; he looked backwards and forwards from Rachel to Mr. Bruff in

such a frenzy of rage with both of them that he didn't know which to

attack first. His wife, who had sat impenetrably fanning herself up to

this time, began to be alarmed, and attempted, quite uselessly, to quiet

him. I had, throughout this distressing interview, felt more than one

inward call to interfere with a few earnest words, and had controlled

myself under a dread of the possible results, very unworthy of a

Christian Englishwoman who looks, not to what is meanly prudent, but to

what is morally right. At the point at which matters had now arrived,

I rose superior to all considerations of mere expediency. If I had

contemplated interposing any remonstrance of my own humble devising,

I might possibly have still hesitated. But the distressing domestic

emergency which now confronted me, was most marvellously and beautifully

provided for in the Correspondence of Miss Jane Ann Stamper--Letter one

thousand and one, on "Peace in Families." I rose in my modest corner,

and I opened my precious book.




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