"What has that man been saying to you?" she
demanded.
Florence was at once offended by hearing her lover so spoken of, and
could not simply tell the story of Harry's successful courtship, as she
had intended. "Mamma," she said "why do you speak of him like that?"
"Because he is a scamp."
"No, he is no scamp. It is very unkind of you to speak in such terms of
one whom you know is very dear to me."
"I do not know it. He ought not to be dear to you at all. You have been
for years intended for another purpose." This was intolerable to
Florence,--this idea that she should have been considered as capable of
being intended for the purposes of other people! And a resolution at
once was formed in her mind that she would let her mother know that such
intentions were futile. But for the moment she sat silent. A journey
home at twelve o'clock at night in a fly was not the time for the
expression of her resolution. "I say he is a scamp," said Mrs. Mountjoy.
"During all these inquiries that have been made after your cousin he has
known all about it."
"He has not known all about it," said Florence.
"You contradict me in a very impertinent manner, and cannot be
acquainted with the circumstances. The last person who saw your cousin
in London was Mr.
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