Poor Alice! It is hard to explain how heavy a blow fell upon her from the open utterance of that word! Of all words in the language it was the one which she now most dreaded. She had called herself a jilt, with that inaudible voice which one uses in making self-accusations;--but hitherto no lips had pronounced the odious word to her ears. Poor Alice! She was a jilt; and perhaps it may have been well that the old man should tell her so.
"Grandpapa!" she said; and there was that in the tone of her voice which somewhat softened the Squire's heart.

Poor Alice! No-one till now had said that odious word to her. But she was a jilt; and perhaps it may have been well that the old man should tell her so.
"Grandpapa!" she said; and her tone softened the Squire's heart.
