Then she resumed her business tone:

"More than this, I obtained from your mother leave to tell you that this
very large allowance comes out of a fortune left to her quite recently
by Sir David Bright. I have acted by the wishes of both your parents as
far as I possibly could. As to my disliking you or being ashamed of you,
such notions could only come out of a morbid imagination. In spite of
your feelings towards me, I still wish to be your friend. I want your
father's daughter to stand well with the world. So that I am left to
live here in peace undisturbed, I shall be glad to help you at any
time."

Mrs. Carteret's feelings were concentrated on Molly's conduct towards
herself, but Molly's consciousness was filled with the greatness of the
blow that had just fallen. It seemed to her that she had only now for
the first time lost her mother--her only ideal, the object of all her
better thoughts. That her enemy was justified was, indeed, just then of
little importance. She turned a dazed face towards her aunt:

"I ought to beg your pardon: I am sorry."

"Oh, pray don't take the trouble."

Mrs. Carteret got out of the chair with emphatic dignity, and held out
some papers.

"You had better read these. I will speak to you about them afterwards."

She left the room absolutely satisfied with her own conduct. But, coming
to a pause in the drawing-room, she remembered that she had made one