essage was uncalled for, and even a little officious. She would have
been mortified to be obliged to repeat it to Mrs. Laval. There had
never been the least intercourse between the ladies, and Mrs. Laval had
sought none. If Mrs. Candy sought it, Matilda was unwilling it should
be through her means. But she could not explain this to her aunt.

"You did not choose it," that lady said again, with kindling anger.

"I did not mean to offend you, Aunt Candy."

"No, because you thought I would never hear of it. I have a great mind,
as ever I had to eat, to whip you, Matilda. You are not at all too old
for it, and I believe it would do you a great deal of good. You haven't
had quite enough of that sort of thing."

Whether Matilda had or had not had enough of that sort of thing, it
seemed to her that it was very far from Mrs. Candy's place to propose
or even hint at it. The indignity of the proposal flushed the child
with a sense of injury almost too strong to be borne. Mrs. Candy, in
all her years of life, had never known the sort of keen pain that her
words gave now to a sensitive nature, up to that time held in the most
dainty and tender consideration. Matilda did not speak nor stir; but
she grew pale.

"The next time you shall have it," Mrs. Candy went on. "I should have
no hesitation at all, Matilda, about whipping you; and my hand is not a
light one. I advise you, as your friend, not to come under it. Your
present punishment shall be, that I shall refuse you permission to go
any more to Mrs. Laval's."

The child was motionless and gave no sign, further than the paleness of
her cheeks; which indeed caught Clarissa's observant eye, and made her
uneasy. But she did not tremble nor weep. Probably the rush of feeling
made such a storm in her little breast that she could not accurately
measure the value of this new announcement, or know fairly what it
meant. Perhaps, too, it was like some other things to her limited
experience, too bad to be believed; and Matilda did not really receive
it as a fact, that her visits to Mrs. Laval had ceased. She realised
enough, however, poor child, to make it extremely difficult to bear up
and maintain her dignity; but she did that. Nothing but the paleness
told. Matilda was quite erect and steady before her aunt; and when she
was at last bidden to go to her seat and begin her reading, her
graceful little head took a set upon her shoulders which was very
incensing to Mrs. Candy.

"I ad