“She was not unkind,” said Marion. “She just made us serve her purpose and keep her in an easy life. If she had been unkind it would have been the same as killing the goose that laid the golden eggs. And now you’ve exposed us, and showed just what we were, and where we came from, to Eddy Saumarez! Oh, Archie, man! could you not have said she was an old nurse, or something like that, and then there could have been no objection? I would have had my wits about me if I had been in such an emergency. You might so easy have said she was our old nurse; but that’s what you could never do, to take thought for our credit and not to expose us.” “I don’t know what you mean by exposing us,” said Archie indignantly, “and as for disowning our Aunt Jane----” “Oh, disowning is just a grand word! I mean nothing of the kind. I could just be as fond of aunty in private as you. And what could she expect more? It would show she was self-seeking and full of her own pride if she wanted us to expose ourselves for her. What does that mean? It just means that we have our position to keep up. We belong to the upper classes and not to Sauchiehall Road. I would not have let the like of Eddy Saumarez know that we had any connection with Sauchiehall Road, except with an old nurse or the like of that. An old nurse explains everything,” said Marion. “I will just let him understand that’s how it is, and that we call her aunty because we are fond of her. You may do that and no harm--just for kindness. And what is she more than an old nurse? You know yourself she would not come to Rosmore for that--not to expose us. Her and me we both understand. I will just explain it all.” “One would think,” said Archie, “that Saumarez was of great importance, and what he thought. And most likely he thinks nothing about it. His mind is full of his own affairs.” “And what are his own affairs?” said Marion scornfully. “Maybe that is one of his own affairs,” she added with a faint blush, as Archie turned upon her in surprise. “You never can tell what may turn out to be important and what not. Eddy is just nothing in himself. But though he will have no money, he will have a good property and a fine house, and a position and all that. And we have plenty of money and nothing more. It might be a thing to be taken into consideration on both sides. But you will never understand that, nor perhaps papa either, and I will just have all the responsibility thrown upon myself.” “What responsibility?” said Archie, more and more astonished.