ing she might be spared an
encounter with Mrs. Wardour; but the old lady heard the fly, saw her
get out, and, imagining she had brought Letty back in some fresh
trouble, hastened to prevent either of them from entering the house.
The door stood open, and they met on the broad step.

"Good morning, Mrs. Wardour," said Mary, trying to speak without
betraying emotion.

"Good morning, Miss Marston," returned Mrs. Wardour, grimly.

"Is Mr. Wardour at home?" asked Mary.

"What is your business with _him_?" rejoined the mother.

"Yes; it is with him," returned Mary, as if she had mistaken her
question, and there had been a point of exclamation after the _What_.

"About that hussy?"

"I do not know whom you call by the name," replied Mary, who would have
been glad indeed to find a fellow-protector of Godfrey in his mother.

"You know well enough whom I mean. Whom should it be, but Letty Lovel!"

"My business has nothing to do with her," answered Mary.

"Whom has it to do with, then?"

"With Mr. Wardour."

"What is it?"

"Only Mr. Wardour himself must hear it. It is his business, not mine."

"I will have nothing to do with it."

"I have no desire to give you the least trouble about it," rejoined
Mary.

"You can't see Mr. Wardour. He's not one to be at the beck and call of
every silly woman that wants him."

"Then I will write, and tell him I called, but you would not allow me
to see him."

"I will give him a message, if you like."

"Then tell him what I have just said. I am going home to write to him.
Good morning."

She was getting into the fly again, when Mrs. Wardour, reflecting that
it must needs be something of consequence that brought her there so
early in a fly, and made her show such a determined front to so great a
personage as herself, spoke again.

"I will tell him you are here; but you must not blame me if he does not
choose to see you. We don't feel you have behaved well about that girl."

"Letty is my friend. I have behaved to her as if she were my sister."

"You had no business to behave to her as if she were your sister. You
had no right to tempt her down to your level."

"Is it degradation to earn one's own living?"

"You had nothing to do with her. She would have done very well if you
had but let her alone."

"Excuse me, ma'am, but I have _some_ right in Letty. I am sorry to have
to assert it, but she would have been dead long ago if I had behaved to
her as you would have me."