She had no business to show you that anonymous letter; and when she did show it you, you should have taken it from her, and told her not to believe a word of it." "And married my daughter to a libertine! Why, Charlotte, I am ashamed of you." Mrs.Molineux colored high; but she kept her temper, and ignored the interruption.

"Then, if you decided to go into so indelicate a question at all (and really you were not bound to do so on anonymous information), why, then, you should have sent for Sir Charles, and given him the letter, and put him on his honor to tell you the truth.
He would have told you the fact, instead of a garbled version; and the fact is that before he knew Bella he had a connection, which he prepared to dissolve, on terms very honorable to himself, as soon as he engaged himself to your daughter.

What is there in that?
Why, it is common, universal, among men of fashion.

I am so vexed it ever came to Bella's knowledge: really it is dreadful to me, as a mother, that such a thing should have been discussed before that child.

Complete innocence means complete ignorance; and that is how all my girls went to their husbands.