She and Jessie had made all their plans before she spoke to her aunt; and when she informed Miss Bridgeman that she had given way to Mrs. Tregonell's wish, and had abandoned all idea of Germany, that strong-minded young woman expressed herself most unreservedly. "You are a fool!" she exclaimed. "No doubt that's an outrageous remark from a person in my position to an heiress like you; but I can't help it. You are a fool--a yielding, self-abnegating fool! If you stay here you will marry that man. There is no escape possible for you. Your aunt has made up her mind about it. She will worry you till you give your consent, and then you will be miserable ever afterwards." "I shall do nothing of the kind. I wonder that you can think me so weak." "If you are weak enough to stay, you will be weak enough to do the other thing," retorted Jessie. "How can I go when my aunt looks at me with those sad eyes, dying eyes--they are so changed since last year--and implores me to stop? I thought you loved her, Jessie?" "I do love her, with a fond and grateful affection. She was my first friend outside my own home; she is my benefactress. But I have to think of your welfare, Christabel--your welfare in this world and the world to come. Both will be in danger if you stay here and marry Leonard Tregonell." "I am going to stay here; and I am not going to marry Leonard. Will that assurance satisfy you? One would think I had no will of my own." "You have not the will to withstand your aunt. She parted you and Mr. Hamleigh; and she will marry you to her son." "The parting was my act," said Christabel. "It was your aunt who brought it about. Had she been true and loyal there would have been no such parting. If you had only trusted to me in that crisis, I think I might have saved you some sorrow; but what's done cannot be undone." "There are some cases in which a woman must judge for herself," Christabel replied, coldly. "A woman, yes--a woman who has had some experience of life: but not a girl, who knows nothing of the hard real world and its temptations, difficulties, struggles. Don't let us talk of it any more. I cannot trust myself to speak when I remember how shamefully he was treated." Christabel stared in amazement. The calm, practical Miss Bridgeman spoke with a passionate vehemence which took the girl's breath away; and yet, in her heart of hearts, Christabel was grateful to her for this sudden flash of anger. "I did not know you liked him so much--that you were so sorry for him," she faltered.