"I always was fond of him," she cried. "Poor Walter! poor Walter! Oh, you can weigh my words if you like at such a time, but I won't weigh them. If Henry likes to be offended I can't help it. He has no reason. Oh, Walter, Walter! I was always fond of him. I have known him since I was _that_ high--and his mother, I have always hated her. I have known her since I was _that_ high. If you think such things go for nothing it is because you have no hearts. Harry, if you love me as you say, get your dog-cart ready this moment and take me to that poor woman--that poor, poor woman! His mother--and she has only him in all the world. Harry, take me or not but I will go----" "You said you hated her, Julia," cried Lady Herbert. "And so I did: and what does that matter? Shall I keep away from her for that--when I am the only one that has known him all his life--that knew him from a child? Harry----" "I have ordered the dog-cart, my dear; and you are a good woman, Julia. I thought so, but with all your dear friends and people hang me if I knew." Julia gave him her hand: she was crying without any disguise. "Perhaps I haven't been very good," she said, "but I never was hard-hearted, and when I think upon that poor woman among strangers----" "By Jove, but this is something new," cried Sir Thomas; "the girl that liked young men best without their mothers, Antrobus, hey?" "Oh hush, Tom," cried his wife; "and dear Julia, be consistent a little--that you're sorry for your old--friend (don't laugh, Tom; say her old flame if you like, but remember that he's dead, poor fellow), that we can understand. Major Antrobus knows all that story. But this fuss about the mother whom you never could bear. Oh that is a little too much! You can't expect us to take in that!" Julia turned upon her relations with what at bottom was a generous indignation. "If you don't know," she said, "how it feels to hear of another person's misfortune, when you yourself are happier than you deserve--and if you don't understand that I would go on my knees to poor Mrs. Methven to take one scrap of her burden off her! oh all the more because I never liked her----But what is the use of talking, for if you don't understand, nothing I could say would make you understand. And it does not matter to me now," cried Julia, less noble feelings breaking in, "now I have got one who is going to stand by me, who knows what I mean, and will put no bad motive--"