Doris was certain she had it in
her mind to add--"or you either!"--but refrained.
"Lord Dunstable was always a friend to her father," said Doris, with the
same slight emphasis on the "Lord" as before. "And she felt for the
estate--the poor people--the tenants."
Rachel Dunstable shook her head impatiently.
"I daresay. But I got into a scrape with the Wigrams. I expect that you
would think, Mrs. Meadows--perhaps most people would think, as of course
her father did--that I once treated Miss Wigram unkindly!"
"Oh, what does it matter?" cried Doris, hastily,--"what _does_ it
matter? She wants to help--she's sorry for you. You should _see_ that
woman! It would be too awful if your son was tied to her for life!"
She sat up straight, all her soul in her eyes and in her pleasant face.
There was a pause. Then Lady Dunstable, whose expression had changed,
came a little nearer to her.
"And you--I wonder why you took all this trouble?"
Doris said nothing. She fell back slowly in her chair, looking
at the tall woman standing over her.
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