Part 11 (2/2)
”I am unconscious of having done either the one or the other of these,”
Ellen replied, in a quiet tone.
”I believed you innocent,” said Mary, with a brightening countenance.
”But what ground is there for the idle, ill-natured gossip that has got on the wind?”
”Not much, if any. I declined dancing with Evelyn, as I had a perfect right to do.”
”Did you tell him you were engaged for the next cotillion?”
”No, certainly not, for I had no engagement then.”
”It is said that when he asked you to dance, you excused yourself on the plea that you were already engaged.”
”Who says this?”
”Flora Mere.”
”How does she know?”
”That I cannot tell. She declined giving her authority.”
”Then, of course, I must believe her the author of the fabrication.”
”No--that does not certainly follow. I do not believe Flora would be guilty of such a thing. But, like too many, she is ready to believe another capable of doing almost any thing that may happen to be alleged.
And like the same cla.s.s of persons, too ready to repeat what she has heard, no matter how injuriously it may affect the subject of the allegation--while a false principle of honour prevents the open declaration of the source from which the information has been derived.”
”Be that as it may, I shall see Flora Mere at once, and ask her for the authority upon which the statement rests.”
”It was to give you an opportunity of doing this, that I have come and freely told what I heard.”
”Thank you, Mary. I wish all the world were as frank and as conscientious as you are. I shall, of course, mention from whom I derived my information.”
”You are at perfect liberty to do so. I try never to say or do any thing that requires concealment.”
It was, perhaps, an hour afterward, that Flora Mere was surprised by a visit from Ellen Gray. She had an instinctive consciousness of the cause of this visit, which made the blood mount to her face, as she took the hand of her friend. She was not long in doubt.
”Flora,” said Ellen, a few minutes after she had entered. ”Mary Lee came in to see me this morning, and mentioned that you had made statements about me which are not true--as that I refused to dance with Mr. Evelyn under the plea of a prior engagement, when, in fact, no such engagement existed.”
”I think Mary Lee had very little to do!” Flora returned petulantly, the colour deepening on her face and brow, ”to tattle about what she hears in company.”
”But reflect,” said Ellen, mildly, ”that the charge against me was one of falsehood--no light charge--and that Mary had every reason to believe me incapable of uttering what was not true. And further, remember, that you declined giving your informant, so as to place it in her power to ascertain upon what basis the statement rested. Reverse the case.
Suppose I had heard that you had done some wrong act; and, instead of carefully satisfying myself whether it were really so or not, were to begin circulating the story wherever I went. Would you not deem her a true friend, who, instead of joining in the general condemnation, were to come to you and put into your power to vindicate your character?
Certainly you would. Just in the relation which that true friend would, under the imagined circ.u.mstances, stand to you, now stands Mary Lee to me. She has put into my power to arrest a report which I find is circulating to my injury. It is true that I declined dancing with Mr.
Evelyn. But it is not true that I stated to him that I was engaged. I was not engaged, and to have said that I was, would have been to have told a deliberate falsehood. May I, then, ask you from what source you derived your information?”
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