I know he has been to see you more than once while Mr.and Mrs.Redmain were not yet returned." Sepia's countenance changed; an evil fire glowed in her eyes, and she looked at Mary as if she would search her to the bone.

The poorer the character, the more precious the repute! "The foolish fellow," she returned, with a smile of contempt, "chose to fall in love with me!--A married man, too!" "If you understood that, how did he come to be here so often ?" asked Mary, looking her in the face.
But Sepia knew better than declare war a moment before it was unavoidable.
"Have I not just told you," she said, in a haughty tone, "that the man was in love with me ?" "And have you not just told me he was a married man?
Could he have come to the house so often without at least your permission ?" Mary was actually taking the upper hand with her! Sepia felt it with scarcely repressive rage.
"He deserved the punishment," she replied, with calmness.
"You do not seem to have thought of his wife!" "Certainly not.

She never gave me offense." "Is offense the only ground for casting a regard on a fellow-creature ?" "Why should I think of her ?" "Because she was your neighbor, and you were doing her a wrong." "Once for all, Marston," cried Sepia, overcome at last, "this kind of thing will not do with me.

I may not be a saint, but I have honesty enough to know the genuine thing from humbug.

You have thrown dust in a good many eyes in this house, but _none_ in mine." By this time Mary had got her temper quite in hand, taking a lesson from the serpent, who will often keep his when the dove loses hers.