"I will not do it even with Lady Macleod." "No," said Lady Midlothian, and her sharp grey eyes now began to kindle with anger; "and therefore it is so very necessary that other friends should interfere." "But I will endure no interference," said Alice, "either from persons who are friends or who are not friends." And as she spoke she rose from her chair.

"You must forgive me, Lady Midlothian, if I say that I can have no conversation with you on this matter." Then she walked out of the room, leaving the Countess and Lady Glencora together.

As she went Miss Palliser lifted her eyes from her book, and knew that there had been a quarrel, but I doubt if she had heard any of the words which had been spoken.
"The most self-willed young woman I ever met in my life," said Lady Midlothian, as soon as Alice was gone.
"I knew very well how it would be," said Lady Glencora.
"But it is quite frightful, my dear.

She has been engaged, with the consent of all her friends, to this young man." "I know all about it." "But you must think she is very wrong." "I don't quite understand her, but I suppose she fears they would not be happy together." "Understand her! I should think not; nobody can understand her.

A young woman to become engaged to a gentleman in that way,--before all the world, as one may say;--to go to his house, as I am told, and talk to the servants, and give orders about the furniture and then turn round and simply say that she has changed her mind! She hasn't given the slightest reason to my knowledge." And Lady Midlothian, as she insisted on the absolute iniquity of Alice's proceedings, almost startled Lady Glencora by the eagerness of her countenance.