You told me to stay there, and the door was ajar." "I wanted you to hear.

Of course what she said was the greatest nonsense in the world." "I don't know." "When she talked about my being taken to prison for not answering a lawyer's letter, that must be nonsense ?" "I suppose that was." "And then she is such a ferocious old termagant,--such an old vulturess.

Now isn't she a ferocious old termagant ?" Lizzie paused for an answer, desirous that her companion should join her in her enmity against her aunt, but Miss Macnulty was unwilling to say anything against one who had been her protectress, and might, perhaps, be her protectress again.

"You don't mean to say you don't hate her ?" said Lizzie.

"If you didn't hate her after all she has done to you, I should despise you.