"My dear young lady," said the clergyman, "I can only ascribe
this extravagant and regrettable expedition of yours to the
wildest misconceptions of your place in the world and of your
duties and responsibilities. Even now, it seems to me, your
present emotion is due not so much to a real and sincere
penitence for your disobedience and folly as to a positive
annoyance at our most fortunate interference--"
"Not that," said Mrs. Milton, in a low tone. "Not that."
"But WHY did she go off like this?" said Widgery. "That's what
_I_ want to know."
Jessie made an attempt to speak, but Mrs. Milton said "Hush!" and
the ringing tenor of the clergyman rode triumphantly over the
meeting. "I cannot understand this spirit of unrest that has
seized upon the more intelligent portion of the feminine
community. You had a pleasant home, a most refined and
intelligent lady in the position of your mother, to cherish and
protect you--"
"If I HAD a mother," gulped Jessie, succumbing to the obvious
snare of self-pity, and sobbing.
"To cherish, protect, and advise you. And you must needs go out
of it all alone into a strange world of unknown dangers-"
"I wanted to learn," said Jessie.
"You wanted to learn. May you never have anything to UNlearn."
"AH!" from Mrs. Milton, very sadly.
"It isn't fair for all of you to argue at me at once," submitted
Jessie, irrelevantly.
"A world full of unknown dangers," resumed the clergyman. "Your
proper place was surely the natural surroundings that are part of
you.
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