deserve."

"It's all very well for you to say that--you don't understand; and
what's more, you never will. You're a hard woman, Jo--because you've
never had the temptations that ordinary women have to fight against."

"How dare you say that?--Temptation!--Reckon I know ..." A sudden memory
of those painful and humiliating moments when she had fought with those
strange powers and discontents, made Joanna turn hot with shame. The
realization that she had come very close to Ellen's sin in her heart did
not make her more relenting towards the sinner--on the contrary, she
hardened.

"Anyways, I've said enough to you for to-night."

"I hope you don't mean to say more to-morrow."

"No--I don't know that I do. Reckon you're right, and we don't get any
good from 'having things out.' Seemingly we speak with different
tongues, and think with different hearts."

She stood up, and her huge shadow sped over the ceiling, hanging over
Ellen as she crouched on the bed. Then she stalked out of the room,
almost majestic in her turkey-red dressing-gown.

Sec.33

Ellen kept very close to the house during the next few days. Her face
wore a demure, sullen expression--towards Joanna she was quiet and
sweet, and evidently anxious that there should be no further opening of
hearts between them. She was very polite to the maids--she won their
good opinion by making her bed herself, so that they should not have any
extra work on her account.

Perhaps it was this domestic good opinion which was at the bottom of the
milder turn which the gossip about her took at this time. Naturally
tongues had been busy ever since it became known that Joanna was
expecting her back--Sir Harry Trevor had got shut of her for the baggage
she was ... she had got shut of Sir Harry Trevor for the blackguard he
was ... she had travelled back as somebody's maid, to pay her fare ...
she had brought her own French maid as far as Calais ... she had walked
from Dover ... she had brought four trunks full of French clothes. These
conflicting rumours must have killed each other, for a few days after
her return the Woolpack was saying that after all there might be
something in Joanna's tale of a trip with Mrs. Williams--of course
everyone knew that both Ellen and the Old Squire had been at San Remo,
but now it was suddenly discovered that Mrs. Williams had been there
too--anyway, there was no knowing that she hadn't, and Ellen Alce didn't
look the sort that ud go to