“I would say so if I did, Mrs. Milray,” said Clementina.  “I was hu’t, at the time; but I don’t care anything for it, now.  I hope you won’t think about it any more!”

“Thank you,” said Mrs. Milray, “I’ll try not to,” and she laughed.  “But I should like to do something to prove my repentance.”

Clementina perceived that for some reason she would rather have more than less cause for regret; and that she was mocking her; but she was without the wish or the power to retaliate, and she did not try to fathom Mrs. Milray’s motives.  Most motives in life, even bad motives, lie nearer the surface than most people commonly pretend, and she might not have had to dig deeper into Mrs. Milray’s nature for hers than that layer of her consciousness where she was aware that Clementina was a pet of her sister-in-law.  For no better reason she herself made a pet of Mrs. Lander, whose dislike of Miss Milray was not hard to divine, and whose willingness to punish her through Clementina was akin to her own.  The sick woman was easily flattered back into her first belief in Mrs. Milray and accepted her large civilities and small services as proof of her virtues.  She began to talk them into Clementina, and to contrast them with the wicked principles and actions of Miss Milray.

The girl had forgiven Mrs. Milray, but she could not go back to any trust in her; and she could only passively assent to her praise.  When Mrs. Lander pressed her for anything more explicit she said what she thought, and then Mrs. Lander accused her of hating Mrs. Milray, who was more her friend than some that flattered her up for everything, and tried to make a fool of her.

“I undastand now,” she said one day, “what that recta meant by wantin’ me to make life ba’d for you; he saw how easy you was to spoil.  Miss Milray is one to praise you to your face, and disgrace you be hind your back, and so I tell you.  When Mrs. Milray thought you done wrong she come and said so; and you can’t forgive her.”

Clementina did not answer.  She had mastered the art of reticence in her relations with Mrs. Lander, and even when Miss Milray tempted her one day to give way, she still had strength to resist.  But she could not deny that Mrs. Lander did things at times to worry her, though she ended compassionately with the reflection:  “She’s sick.”

“I don’t think she’s very sick, now,” retorted her friend.

“No; that’s the reason she’s so worrying.  When she’s really sick, she’s betta.”

“Because she’s frightened, I suppose.  And how long do you propose to stand it?

“I don’t know,” Clementina listlessly answered.

“She couldn’t get along without me.  I guess I can stand it till we go home; she says she is going home in the fall.”

Miss Milray sat looking at the girl a moment.

“Shall you be glad to go home?”

“Oh yes, indeed!”

“To that place in the woods?”