What have I done that you should hate me ?' The Princess laughed contemptuously.
'The expression is too strong,' she retorted.

'Hatred would imply an interest in you and your possible doings, which I am far from feeling, I assure you! Since it turns out that you are not even one of the family----' She laughed again and raised her eyebrows still higher, instead of ending the speech.
'From what you say,' Angela answered with a good deal of dignity, 'I can only understand that if you followed your own inclination you would turn me out into the street.' 'The law will do so without my intervention,' answered the elder woman.

'If my brother-in-law had even taken the trouble to acknowledge you as his child, without legitimising you, you would have been entitled to a small allowance, perhaps two or three hundred francs a month, to keep you from starving.

But as he has left no legal proof that you are his daughter, and since he was not properly married to your mother, you can claim nothing, not even a name! You are, in fact, a destitute foundling, as Calvi just said!' 'It only remains for you to offer me your charity,' Angela said.
'That was not my intention,' returned the Princess with a savage sneer.

'I have talked it over with my husband, and we do not see why he should be expected to support his brother's--natural child!' Angela rose from her seat without a word and went quietly towards the door; but before she could reach it the Princess had followed her with a rush and a dramatic sweep of her black cloth skirt and plentiful crape, and had caught her by the wrist to bring her back to the middle of the great room.
'I shall not keep you long!' cried the angry woman.