"She offer to go!" exclaimed Zoe scornfully: "you may depend, she'll
stay as long as she has the least vestige of an excuse for doing so."

"Oh, now, little woman! don't begin the day with being quite so hard and
uncharitable," Edward said, half seriously, half laughingly.

Zoe was not far wrong in her estimate of her guest. Miss Deane was both
insincere and a thoroughly selfish person, caring nothing for the
comfort or happiness of others. She had perceived Zoe's antipathy from
the first day of their acquaintance, and took a revengeful, malicious
delight in tormenting her; and she had sufficient penetration to see
that the most effectual way to accomplish her end was through Edward.
The young wife's ardent and jealous affection for her husband was very
evident; plainly, it was pain to her to see him show Miss Deane the
slightest attention, or seem interested in any thing she did or said;
therefore the intruder put forth every effort to interest him, and
monopolize his attention, and at the same time contrived to draw out
into exhibition the most unamiable traits in Zoe's character, doing it
so adroitly that Edward did not perceive her agency in the matter, and
thought Zoe alone to blame. To him Miss Deane's behavior appeared
unexceptionable, her manner most polite and courteous, Zoe's just the
reverse.

It was so through all that day and week; for the storm continued, and
the uninvited guest never so much as hinted at a wish to leave the
shelter of their hospitable roof.

Zoe began each day with heroic resolve to be patient and forbearing,
sweet-tempered and polite, toward her tormentor, and ended it with a