And Meg, because wickedness was abhorrent to her, threw a few more little stones, so that the pain might teach him a lesson he could not forget.
And Judy, because he was her brother and in trouble, flung her arms round him and encouraged him, and helped him to fight the world again, and gave him never a hard word or look, thinking he had had plenty.
Which sister's influence would be greater, Miss Meg ?" Meg's little soft mouth, was quivering, her eyes were on the ground, because the tears would have splashed out if she had lifted them.
"Oh-h-h!" she said again.

"Oh, how very horrid I have been--oh-h-h!" She covered her face with her hands, for one of her quickly gathered tears was trembling on her lashes.
Mr.Gillet dropped the strap and the pipe, and looked across to her with tender eyes.
"I am more than twice your age, Miss Meg, old enough nearly to be your father--you will forgive me for saying all this, won't you?
I was thinking, of my sister who died.

I had another little sister, too, a year older, but she was hard--only event to her once.
She is one of the best women in England now, but her lips are severe.
Little Miss Meg, I could not bear the thought of you growing hard." Half a dozen big tears had fallen down among the forks.

Meg was crying because it was borne upon her what a very hateful creature she was.

First Alan lectured her and spoke of his sister, and now this man.
He misinterpreted her silence.
"I have no right to speak to you like this, because my life has been any colour but white--that is it, isn't it, Miss Meg ?" he said with great sadness.
Meg dropped her sheltering hands.
"Oh, no," she said, "oh! how CAN you think so?
It is only I am so horrid." She rummaged in her pocket and brought out the ribbon.
"Will you take it again ?" she said--"oh, PLEASE, just to make me feel less horrid.