Esther thought she had guessed the
cause of her tears, and tried to comfort her.
'Ah! Miss Jane, there will be another confirmation some day; it was a
sad thing you were too ill, to be sure, but--'
'Oh! if I had--if he would not say--if he had thought me fit.'
Esther was amazed, and asked if she should call Miss Weston, who was
now with Lilias.
'No, no!' cried Jane, nearly relapsing into hysterics. 'She shall
not see me in this state.'
Esther hardly knew what to do, but she tried to soothe and comfort
her by following what was evidently the feeling predominating in
Jane's mind, as indicated by her broken sentences, and said, 'It was
a pity, to be sure, that Mr. Devereux came and talked so long, he
could not know of your being so very weak, Miss Jane.'
'Yes,' said Jane, faintly, 'I could have borne it better if he had
waited a few days.'
'Yes, Miss, when you had not been so very ill. Mr. Devereux is a
very good gentleman, but they do say he is very sharp.'
'He means to be kind,' said Jane, 'but I do not think he has much
consideration, always.'
'Yes, Miss Jane, that is just what Mrs. White said, when--'
Esther's speech was cut short by the entrance of Miss Weston.
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