absence, and had punished her; not with whipping, that was forbidden,
but with some of the innumerable nursery tyrannies which Phillis called
government. And Titia evidently thought, with the suspiciousness of
all weak, cowed creatures, that Mrs. Grey must have had some hand in
it--that she had broken her promise, and betrayed her to this
punishment.

She stood aloof, poor little girl, tacitly doing as she was bidden, and
acquiescing in every thing, with her thin lips pressed into that hopeless
line, or now and then opening to give vent to sharp, unchildlike
speeches, so exceedingly like Aunt Henrietta's.

"Those are very pretty bracelets, but yours are not nearly so big as poor
mamma's, and you don't wear half so many."

Was it that inherent feminine quality, tact or spite, according as it is
used, which teaches women to find out, and either avoid or wound one
another's sore places, which made the little girl so often refer to "poor
mamma?" Or had she been taught to do it?

Christian could not tell. But it had to be borne, and she was learning
how to bear it, she answered kindly.

"Probably I do wear fewer ornaments than your mamma did, for she
was rich, and I was poor. Indeed, I have no ornaments to wear except
what your papa has given me."

"He gives you lots of things, doesn't he? Every thing you have?"

"Yes."