"
"Well," said the mother, "I suppose I must. If I were only spoken to
kindly I could feel as kindly; however, let there be an end to this
quarrel as the boy says, and I, as well as Charles, shall be guided by
his advice."
"Now, Charles," said he, when they had gone to another room, "you know
what kind! of a woman my mother is; and the truth is, until matters get
settled, we will have occasion for a good, deal of patience with her;
let us, therefore, exercise it. Like most hot-tempered women, she has
a bad memory, and wrests the purport of words too frequently to a wrong
meaning. In the account she gave you of what occurred between Alice
Goodwin and me, she entirely did."
"But what did occur between Alice Goodwin and you, Harry?"
"A very few words will tell it. She admitted that there certainly has
been an attachment between you and her, but--that--that--I will
not exactly repeat her words, although I don't say they were meant
offensively; but it amounted, to this, that she now filled a different
position in the eyes of the world; that she would rather the matter
were not renewed; that if her mind had changed, she had good reason for
justifying the change; and when I, finding that I had no chance myself,
began to plead for you, she hinted to me that, in consequence of the
feud that had taken place between the families, and the slanders that my
mother had cast upon her honor and principles, she was resolved to
have no further connection whatsoever with any one of the blood; her
affections were not now her own.
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