She sat up with me night after night when I had that attack of rheumatic fever six years ago.

There's great excuses for her.
When a woman can't think of her husband coming home without trembling, it's enough to make her drink something to blunt her feelings--and no children either, to keep her from it.

You and me might do the same, if we were in her place.' 'Speak for yourself, Mrs.Pettifer,' said Miss Pratt.

'Under no circumstances can I imagine myself resorting to a practice so degrading.
A woman should find support in her own strength of mind.' 'I think,' said Rebecca, who considered Miss Pratt still very blind in spiritual things, notwithstanding her assumption of enlightenment, 'she will find poor support if she trusts only to her own strength.

She must seek aid elsewhere than in herself.' Happily the removal of the tea-things just then created a little confusion, which aided Miss Pratt to repress her resentment at Rebecca's presumption in correcting her--a person like Rebecca Linnet! who six months ago was as flighty and vain a woman as Miss Pratt had ever known -- so very unconscious of her unfortunate person! The ladies had scarcely been seated at their work another hour, when the sun was sinking, and the clouds that flecked the sky to the very zenith were every moment taking on a brighter gold.