"Do you mean that she--jilted him ?" said the Duchess, almost whistling, and opening her eyes very wide.

"Dear me, I'm sorry for that.

I shouldn't have thought it." And when she next spoke to Alice she assumed rather a severe tone of emphasis;--but this was soon abandoned when Alice listened to her with complacency.
Alice also had learned to ride,--or rather had resumed her riding, which for years had been abandoned.

Jeffrey Palliser had been her squire, and she had become intimate with him so as to learn to quarrel with him and to like him,--to such an extent that Lady Glencora had laughingly told her that she was going to do more.
"I rather think not," said Alice.
"But what has thinking to do with it?
Who ever thinks about it ?" "I don't just at present,--at any rate." "Upon my word it would be very nice;--and then perhaps some day you'd be the Duchess." "Glencora, don't talk such nonsense." "Those are the speculations which people make.

Only I should spite you by killing myself, so that he might marry again." "How can you say such horrid things ?" "I think I shall,--some day.