Oh, Maude, I shall never be happy again until you trust me about this." Mrs.Lee felt a little pang of conscience, and seemed suddenly to become conscious of a new coil, tightening about her, in this wretched complication.

Unable to see her way, ignorant of her sister's motives, urged on by the idea that Sybil's happiness was involved, she was now charged with want of feeling, and called upon for a direct answer to a plain question.
How could she aver that she did not mean to marry Mr.Ratcliffe?
to say this would be to shut the door on all the objects she had at heart.

If a direct answer must be given, it was better to say "Yes!" and have it over; better to leap blindly and see what came of it.

Mrs.
Lee, therefore, with an internal gasp, but with no visible sign of excitement, said, as though she were in a dream: "Well, Sybil, I will tell you.

I would have told you long ago if I had known myself.