om the
ill usage you have suffered."

"You are right in part, no doubt. I shall become hardened to it all, and
shall fall into some endurable mode of life in time. But I can look
forward to nothing. What future have I? Was there ever any one so
utterly friendless as I am? Your kind cousin has done that for me; and
yet he came here to me the other day, smiling and talking as though he
were sure that I should be delighted by his condescension. I do not
think that he will ever come again."

"I did not know you had seen him."

"Yes; I saw him, but I did not find much relief from his visit. We won't
mind that, however. We can talk about something better than Hugh
Clavering during the few minutes that we have together--can we not? And
so Miss Burton is very learned and very clever?"

"I did not quite say that."

"But I know she is. What a comfort that will be to you! I am not clever,
and I never should have become learned. Oh dear! I had but one merit,
Harry--I was fond of you."

"And how did you show it?" He did not speak these words, because he
would not triumph over her, nor was he willing to express that regret on
his own part which these words would have implied; but it was impossible
for him to avoid a thought of them. He remained silent, therefore,
taking up some toy from the table into his hands, as though that would
occupy his attention.

"But what a fool I am talk of it--am I not? And I am worse than a fool.
I was thinking of you when I stood up in church to be married--thinking
of that offer of your little savings. I used to think of you at every
harsh word that I endured--of your modes of life when I sat through
those terrible nights by that poor creature's bed--of you when I knew
that the last day was coming. I thought of you always, Harry, when I
counted up my gains. I never count them up now. Ah! how I thought of you
when I came to this house in the carriage which you had provided for me,
when I had left you at the station almost without speaking a word to
you! I should have been more gracious had I not had you in my thoughts
throughout my whole journey home from Florence. And after that I had
some comfort in believing that the price of my shame might make you rich
without shame. Oh, Harry, I have been disappointed! You will never
understand what I felt when first that evil woman told me of Miss
Burton."

"Oh, Julia, what am I to say?"

"You can say nothing; but I wonder that you had not told me."