She saw no use and no good in them. They seemed to her only the
petty follies of petty minds. She had no patience with them, and would
take no trouble about them.
So, as soon as the ladies were alone, she said to Miss Gascoigne
outright, without showing either hesitation or annoyance.
"I met Miss Bennett in the hall to-day. Why did you not tell me that
you and Aunt Maria had chosen a governess for Letitia?"
Sometimes nothing puzzles very clever people so much as a piece of
direct simplicity. Aunt Henrietta actually blushed.
"Chosen a governess? Well, so we did! We were obliged to do it. And
you were so much occupied with Arthur. Indeed, I must say,"
recovering herself from the defensive into the offensive position, "that
the way you made yourself a perfect slave to that child, to the neglect
of all your other duties, was--"
"Never mind that now, please. Just tell me about Miss Bennett. When
did she come, and how did you hear of her?"
She spoke quite gently, in mere inquiry; she was so anxious neither to
give nor to take offense, if it could possibly be avoided. She bore
always in mind a sentence her husband had once quoted--and, though a
clergyman, he did not often quote the Bible, he only lived it: "As much
as in you lieth, live peaceably with all men.
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