Don't you know _he_ stands alone--above all the human follies and weaknesses of a mere woman?
Can't you guess," said Lady Mary, passionately, "that it's my boy, my poor faulty, undutiful boy--oh, that I should call him so!--who needs me?
that it's his voice that would be calling in my heart whilst I awaited Sir Timothy's pleasure to-morrow ?" "His _pleasure_ ?" said John, sternly.
"I am shocking you, and I didn't want to shock you," she cried, almost wildly.

"But you don't suppose he needs _me_--me myself?
He only wants to be sure I'm doing the right thing.

He wants to give people no chance of saying that Lady Mary Crewys rushed off to see her spoilt boy whilst her husband hovered between life and death.

A lay figure would do just as well; if it would only sit in an armchair and hold its handkerchief to its eyes; and if the neighbours, and his sisters, and the servants could be persuaded to think it was I." "Hush, hush!" said John.
"Do let me speak out; pray let me speak out," she said, breathless and imploring, "and you can think what you like of me afterwards, when I am gone, if only you won't scold now.

I am so sick of being scolded," said Lady Mary.