Jane
started up, dashed off her tears, and tried to look as usual, but the
paleness of her face, and the redness of her eyes, made this
impossible, and she was obliged to lie down again. Esther left the
room, and Miss Weston did not feel intimate enough with Jane to ask
any questions; she gave her some sal volatile, talked kindly to her
of her weakness, and offered to read to her; all the time leaving an
opening for confidence, if Jane wished to relieve her mind. The book
which lay near her accounted, as she thought, for her agitation, and
she blamed herself for having judged her harshly as deficient in
feeling, now that she found her so much distressed, because illness
had prevented her confirmation. Under this impression she honoured
her reserve, while she thought with more affection of Lily's open
heart. Jane, who never took, or expected others to take, the most
favourable view of people's motives, thought Alethea knew the cause
of her distress, and disliked her the more, as having witnessed her
humiliation.
Such was Jane's love of gossip that the next time she was alone with
Esther she asked for the history of Mrs. White, thus teaching her
maid disrespect to her pastor, indirectly complaining of his
unkindness, and going far to annul the effect of what she had learnt
at school.
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