She scraped
acquaintance with some strange man on board, and liked his
company better than ours, for she stayed with him the whole
blessed day, waking and sleeping; of course Mamma didn't like
it at all. She didn't go to a single meal with us; you know,
of course, that wasn't proper behaviour."
"No, indeed," said Isabel.
"I suppose," said John, coolly, "she chose the society she
thought the pleasantest. Probably Miss Margaret's politeness
was more than she had been accustomed to."
Margaret coloured, not quite knowing what to make of the
speaker or his speech.
"It would take much to make me believe," said gentle Mrs.
Chauncey, "that a child of such refined and delicate feeling
as that little girl evidently has, could take pleasure in
improper company."
Margaret had a reply at her tongue's end, but she had also an
uneasy feeling that there were eyes not far off too keen of
sight to be baffled; she kept silence till the group
dispersed, and she had an opportunity of whispering in
Marianne's ear that "_that_ was the very most disagreeable man
she had ever seen in her life."
"What a singular fancy you have taken to this little pet of
Alice's, Mr. John!" said Mrs. Marshman's youngest daughter.
"You quite surprise me."
"Did you think me a misanthrope, Miss Sophia?"
"Oh, no, not at all; but I always had a notion you would not
be easily pleased in the choice of favourites.
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