I own I had doubts of my success--judging by what I had already seen of her.

My doubts were confirmed.

In the ordinary intercourse of life I should merely have thought her a commonplace, uninteresting woman.

Seeing her as I saw her while we were alone--in other words, penetrating below the surface--I have never, in all my sad experience, met with such a hopelessly narrow, mean, and low nature as hers.

Understanding, as she could not fail to do, what the sudden change in Lady Janet's behavior toward her really meant, her one idea was to take the cruelest possible advantage of it.