CHAPTER VIII.
JESS GOES TO PRETORIA That day, at dinner, Jess suddenly announced that she was going on the morrow to Pretoria to see Jane Neville.
"To see Jane Neville!" said Bessie, opening her blue eyes wide.

"Why, it was only last month you said that you did not care about Jane Neville now, because she had grown so vulgar.

Don't you remember when she stopped here on her way down to Natal last year, and held up her fat hands, and said, 'Ah, Jess--Jess is a _genius!_ It is a privilege to know her'?
And then she asked you to quote Shakespeare to that lump of a brother of hers, and you told her that if she did not hold her tongue she would not enjoy the privilege much longer.

And now you want to go and stop with her for two months! Well, Jess, you are odd.

And, what's more, I think it is very unkind of you to run away for so long." To all of which prattle Jess said nothing, but merely reiterated her determination to go.
John, too, was astonished, and, to tell the truth, not a little disgusted.