e. Jessica,
perfectly aware of this desire, sat as though no less at home than
Nancy. Every remark she made was a stroke of malice at her friend, and
in her drawn features appeared the passions by which she was tormented.

As soon as Mr. Barmby had regretfully withdrawn, Nancy turned upon the
girl with flashing eyes.

'I want to speak to you. Come downstairs.'

She led the way to the dining-room. Jessica followed without a word.

'Why are you behaving like this? What has come to you?'

The feeble anaemic creature fell back before this outbreak of wholesome
wrath; her eyes stared in alarm.

'I won't put up with it,' cried Nancy. 'If you think you can insult me
because I trusted you when you were my only friend, you'll find your
mistake. A little more, and you shall see how little your power over me
is worth. Am I to live at _your_ mercy! I'd starve rather. What do you
mean by it?'

'Oh--Nancy--to think you should speak to me like this.'

'You are to be allowed to spit poison at me--are you? And I must bear
it? No, that I won't! Of course I know what's the matter with you. You
have fallen in love with Samuel Barmby.--You have! Any one can see
it. You have no more command of yourself than a child. And because he
prefers me to you, you rage against me. Idiot! What is Samuel Barmby to
me? Can I do more to keep him off? Can I say to him, "Do have pity on
poor Miss. Morgan, who--"'

She was interrupted by a scream, on which followed a torrent of frenzied
words from Jessica.

'You're a bad-hearted woman! You've behaved disgracefully yourself--oh!
I know more than you think; and now you accuse me of being as bad. Why
did you get married in such a hurry? Do you think I didn't understand
it? It's you who have no command over yourself. If the truth were known,
no decent woman would ever speak to You again. And you've got your
reward. Pretend as you like, I know your husband has deserted you. What
else could you expect? That's what makes you hate every one that hasn't
fallen into the mud. I wouldn't have such a character as yours! All this
afternoon you've been looking at that man as no married woman could who
respected herself. You encourage him; he comes here often--'

Hysterical passion strangled her voice, and before she could recover
breath, Nancy, terrible in ire, advanced upon her.

'Leave this house, and never dare to show yourself here again! Do what
you like, I'll endure you no longer--be off!'

Jessica ret