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Rh of manner, "Let go womanishness now and tell me truly how you can object to my affording temporary shelter to such a forlorn creature."

"Forlorn creature?" returned Champak, "why if she has done ill, she has deserved to be turned out."

"And how do you know she has done ill?"

"Why, do you think she would be turned out for nothing? Do people turn out their wives from caprice?"

"Yes—it may be she was wrong—it may also be her husband was wrong. But still it cannot be wrong to give her shelter in the house in any case."

"You can do your pleasure," she returned sulkily again. "Why do you ask my opinion about it at all?"

"There again! Fie, a woman should be more kind."

"Yes, kind to those who deserve kindness. But is it right to be kind to all alike, be she good or bad?"

"But still you cannot be sure she has not been more unfortunate than anything else, and report speaks very favourably of her conduct."

"Report!" said Champak with a contemptuous swing of her large fine noth, "you have picked up all your information on the point from Suki's mother's little gossip and you dignify her garrulous lies with the name of report."

"Why, have you heard any one speak otherwise than well of her?" inquired Mathur rather surprised.