"No!" said Augustina pettishly; then, with a rush of words that she could not repress:
"Laura, you must--you positively must give up that young man."
Laura came round and seated herself on the fender stool in front of her stepmother.
"Oh! so that's it. Has anybody else been gossiping?"
"I do wish you wouldn't--you wouldn't take things so coolly!" cried Augustina. "I tell you, the least trifle is enough to do a young girl of your age harm. Your father would have been so annoyed."
"I don't think so," said Laura quietly. "But who is it now? The Reverend Mother?"
Augustina hesitated. She had been recommended to keep things to herself. But she had no will to set against Laura's, and she was, in fact, bursting with suppressed remonstrance.
"It doesn't matter, my dear. One never knows where a story of that kind will go to. That's just what girls don't remember."
"Who told a story, and what? I didn't see the Reverend Mother at the dance."
"Laura! But you never thought, my dear--you never knew--that there was a cousin of Father Bowles' there--the man who keeps that little Catholic shop in Market Street. That's what comes, you see, of going to parties with people beneath you."
"Oh! a cousin of Father Bowles was there?" said Laura slowly. "Well, did he make a pretty tale?"
"Laura! you are the most provoking--You don't the least understand what people think. How could you go with him when everybody remonstrated?"
"Nobody remonstrated," said the girl sharply.
"His sister did nothing of the kind. She was staying the night in the village, and there was literally nothing for me to do but come home with Hubert or to throw myself on some stranger."
"And such stories as one hears about this dreadful young man!" cried Augustina.
"I couldn't even tell you what they are about!" said Augustina. "Your father would _certainly_ have forbidden it altogether."
There was a silence. Laura held her head as high as ever. She was, in fact, in a fever of contradiction and resentment, and the interference of people like Mrs. Denton and the Sisters was fast bringing about Mason's forgiveness. Naturally, she was likely to hear the worst of him in that house. What Helbeck, or what dependent on a Helbeck, would give him the benefit of any doubt?