think of her despising me. No, she forgave, pitied;--she was kind.
Those are the angels who cause us to think of changeing. I don't care
for sermons, but when I meet charity: I won't bore you!'

'You don't.'

'My . . . Captain Marsett can't bear--he calls it Psalmody. He thinks
things ought always to be as they are, with women and men; and women
preachers he does detest. She is not one to preach. You are waiting to
hear what I have to tell. That man Major Worrell has tried to rob me of
everything I ever had to set a value on:--love, I 'd say;--he laughs at a
woman like me loving.'

Dartrey nodded, to signify a known sort of fellow.

'She came here.' Mrs. Marsett's tears had risen. 'I ought not to have
let her come. I invited her--for once: I am lonely. None of my sex--
none I could respect! I meant it for only once. She promised to sing to
me. And, Oh! how she sings! You have heard her. My whole heart came
out. I declare I believe girls exist who can hear our way of life--and
I'm not so bad except compared with that angel, who heard me, and was
and is, I could take oath, no worse for it. Some girls can; she is one.
I am all for bringing them up in complete innocence. If I was a great
lady, my daughters should never know anything of the world until they
were married. But Miss Radnor is a young lady who cannot be hurt. She
is above us. Oh! what a treasure for a man!--and my God! for any man
born of woman to insult a saint, as she is!--He is a beast!'

'Major Worrell met her here?'