"Adeline  Merrill  wouldn't  stop  for  such  a  thing  as  the
feelings  of  her  own  daughter,  if  she  had  her  mind  set  on
anything,"  said  his  mother,  in  her  soft  voice,  which
seemed  to  belie  the  bitterness  of  her  words.  She  was
not  in  reality  bitter  at  all,  not  even  towards  Mrs.  Merrill,
but  she  had  clearly  defined  rules  of  conduct  for  gentle
women,  and  she  mentioned  it  when  these  rules  were
transgressed.
"Well,  mother  dear,  I  can't  see  that  it  is  likely  to
make  much  difference  to  either  you  or  me,  anyway,"
said  George,  and  his  mother  felt  consoled.  She  told  her
self  that  it  was  not  possible  that  George  thought  serious
ly  of  Lily,  or  he  would  not  speak  so.
"Miss  Stillman  is  very  eccentric,"  she  remarked,  de
parting  from  the  subject.  "  I  offered  to  bring  her  home

21  311


BY    THE    LIGHT    OF    THE    SOUL

with  me  in  the  carriage.  I  knew  you  wculd  not  mind
the  extra  money.  She  has  such  a  cold  that  I  really
wondered  that  she  came  at  all  in  such  a  storm;  but,  no,
she  seemed  fairly  indignant  at  the  idea.  I  never  saw
any  one  so  proud.  I  asked  Mrs.  Henry  Stillman,  but
she  did  not  like  to  have  her  sister-in-law  to  go  alone,  so
she  would  not  accept,  either;  but  Miss  Stillman  walked
herself,  and  made  her  sister  walk,  too,  and  I  am  positive
it  was  because  she  was  proud.  Do  you  really  mean  you
think  young  Maria  did  not  want  to  see  you,  George?"

"It  looked  like  it,"  George  replied,  laughing.
"Why?"  asked  his  mother.
