'And what sort of person is she--do you like her ?' 'Very well--that is, _pretty_ well.

You won't tell ?--but she rather frightens me.

I'm sure she does not intend it, but somehow I am very much afraid of her.' 'She does not beat you ?' said Cousin Monica, with an incipient frenzy in her face that made me love her.
'Oh no!' 'Nor ill-use you in any way ?' 'No.' 'Upon your honour and word, Maud ?' 'No, upon my honour.' 'You know I won't tell her anything you say to me; and I only want to know, that I may put an end to it, my poor little cousin.' 'Thank you, Cousin Monica very much; but really and truly she does not ill-use me.' 'Nor threaten you, child ?' 'Well, _no_--no, she does not threaten.' 'And how the plague _does_ she frighten you, child ?' 'Well, I really--I'm half ashamed to tell you--you'll laugh at me--and I don't know that she wishes to frighten me.

But there is something, is not there, ghosty, you know, about her ?' '_Ghosty_--is there?
well, I'm sure I don't know, but I suspect there's something devilish--I mean, she seems roguish--does not she?
And I really think she has had neither cold nor pain, but has just been shamming sickness, to keep out of my way.' I perceived plainly enough that Cousin Monica's damnatory epithet referred to some retrospective knowledge, which she was not going to disclose to me.
'You knew Madame before,' I said.

'Who is she ?' 'She assures me she is Madame de la Rougierre, and, I suppose, in French phrase she so calls herself,' answered Lady Knollys, with a laugh, but uncomfortably, I thought.
'Oh, dear Cousin Monica, do tell me--is she--is she very wicked?
I am so afraid of her!' 'How should I know, dear Maud?
But I do remember her face, and I don't very much like her, and you may depend on it.