Page:The Tenant of Wildfell Hall (emended first edition), Volume 2.djvu/322

312 shame. I should be sorry to distress your husband with the knowledge of it."

"And Milicent? will you tell her?"

"No, on the contrary I shall do my utmost to conceal it from her. I would not for much that she should know the infamy and disgrace of her relation!"

"You use hard words, Mrs. Huntingdon—but I can pardon you."

"And now Lady Lowborough," continued I, "let me counsel you to leave this house as soon as possible. You must be aware that your continuance here is excessively disagreeable to me—not for Mr. Huntingdon's sake," said I, observing the dawn of a malicious smile of triumph on her face—"You are welcome to him, if you like him, as far as I am concerned—but because it is painful to be always disguising my true sentiments respecting you, and straining to keep up an appearance of civility and respect towards one for whom I have not the most distant shadow of esteem;