In earlier years Emily had only laughed at what she called such foolishness; she could not laugh now.

Such ways of thinking and speaking were a profanation of all she held holiest; words which she whispered in trembling to her heart were vulgarised and defiled by use upon these tinkling tongues; it was blasphemy against her religion.
Once more she endeavoured to fix the girl's thoughts on the work in hand, and by steady persistence conquered at length some semblance of attention.

But an hour proved the utmost limit of Jessie's patience, then her tongue got its way again, and the inevitable subjects were resumed.

She talked of the 'gentlemen' whose acquaintance, in a greater or less degree, she had made at the seaside; described their manoeuvres to obtain private interviews with her, repeated jokes of their invention, specified her favourites, all at headlong speed of disjointed narrative.

Emily sat beneath the infliction, feeling that to go through this on alternate days for some weeks would be beyond her power.