"I do not want to be harsh, but you ought to know what you have done.

And, good heavens! for what?
A stranger, a mere coxcomb comes in your way, and you listen to his fine words, and straight begin to be able to see nothing but him, though the most faithful, generous heart a girl ever had offered to her is in your very hand! _I_ was bad enough--but I had no such love as Maurice's to leave behind me." Again Lucia moved, without speaking.

As she did so, the ring on her hand flashed.
"What is that on your finger ?" Mrs.Costello asked.
"Maurice's ring.

_He_ was not so hard on me." "Hard ?" Mrs.Costello was pressing her hand more and more tightly to her side.

"Child, it is you that have been hard with your unconscious ways." But Lucia had found power to speak at last.
"After all," she said obstinately, "I neither see why I should be supposed to have done wrong, nor why anybody else should be spoken of so.