"DID you see that?" said Mrs. Jones to her friend Mrs. Lion, with
whom she was walking.
"See what?"
"Why, that Mrs. Todd didn't speak to me."
"No. I thought she spoke to you as well as to me."
"Indeed, then, and she didn't."
"Are you sure?"
"Sure? Can't I believe my own eyes? She nodded and spoke to you, but
she didn't as much as look at me."
"What in the world can be the reason, Mrs. Jones?"
"Dear knows!"
"You certainly must be mistaken. Mrs. Todd would not refuse to speak
to one of her old friends in the street."
"Humph! I don't know; she's rather queer, sometimes. She's taken a
miff at something, I suppose, and means to cut my acquaintance. But
let her. I shall not distress myself about it; she isn't all the
world."
"Have you done any thing likely to offend her?" asked Mrs. Lyon.
"Me?" returned her companion. "No, not that I am aware of; but
certain people are always on the lookout for something or other
wrong, and Mrs. Todd is just one of that kind."
"I never thought so, Mrs. Jones."
"She is, then. I know her very well."
"I'm sorry," said Mrs. Lyon, evincing a good deal of concern.
"Hadn't you better go to her in a plain, straight-forward way, and
ask the reason of her conduct? This would make all clear in a
moment."
"Go to her, Mrs. Lyon," exclaimed Mrs. Jones, with ill-concealed
indignation. "No, indeed, that I will not. Do you think I would
demean myself so much?"
"I am not sure that by so doing you would demean yourself, as you
say. There is, clearly, some mistake, and such a course would
correct all false impressions. But it was only a suggestion, thrown
out for your consideration."
"Oh, no, Mrs. Lyon," replied Mrs. Jones, with warmth. "You never
find me cringing to people, and begging to know why they are pleased
to cut my acquaintance. I feel quite as good as anybody, and
consider myself of just as much consequence as the proudest and
best. Mrs. Todd needn't think I care for her acquaintance; I never
valued it a pin."
Notwithstanding Mrs. Jones's perfect indifference toward Mrs. Todd,
she continued to talk about her, pretty much after this fashion,
growing more excited all the while, during the next half hour, at
the close of which time the ladies parted company.
When Mrs. Jones met her husband at the dinner-table, she related
what had happened during the morning. Mr. Jones was disposed to
treat the matter lightly, but his wife soon satisfied him that the
thing was no joke.
"What can be Mrs. Todd's reason for such conduct?" he asked, with a
serious air. "I can't tell, for my life."
"She must have heard some false report about you."
"It's as likely as not; but what can it be?"
"Something serious, to cause her to take so decided a stand as she
seems to have done."
Mr. Jones looked grave, and spoke in a grave tone of voice. This
made matters worse. Mrs. Jones's first idea was that Mrs. Todd had
heard something that she might have said about her, and that wounded
pride had caused her to do as she had done; but her husband's remark
suggested other thoughts. It was possible that reports were in
circulation calculated to injure her social standing, and that Mrs.
Todd's conduct toward her was not the result of any private pique.
"It is certainly strange and unaccountable," she said, in reply to
her husband's last remark, speaking in a thoughtful tone.
"Would it not be the fairest and best way for you to go and ask for
an explanation?"
"No, I can't do that," replied Mrs. Jones, quickly. "I am willing to
bear undeserved contempt and unjust censure, but I will never humble
myself to any one."
For the rest of the day, Mrs. Jones's thoughts all flowed in one
channel. A hundred reasons for Mrs. Todd's strange conduct were
imagined, but none seemed long satisfactory. At last, she remembered
having spoken pretty freely about the lady to a certain individual
who was not remarkable for his discretion.
"That's it," she said, rising from her chair, and walking nervously
across the floor of her chamber, backward and forward, for two or
three times, while a burning glow suffused her cheek. "Isn't it too
bad that words spoken in confidence should have been repeated! I
don't wonder she is offended."
This idea was retained for a time, and then abandoned for some other
that seemed more plausible. For the next two weeks, Mrs. Jones was
very unhappy. She did not meet Mrs. Todd during that period, but she
saw a number of her friends, to whom either she or Mrs. Lyon had
communicated the fact already stated. All declared the conduct of
Mrs. Todd to be unaccountable; but several, among themselves, had
shrewd suspicions of the real cause. Conversations on the subject,
like the following, were held:--
"I can tell you what I think about it, Mrs. S--. You know, Mrs.
Jones is pretty free with her tongue?"
"Yes."
"You've heard her talk about Mrs. Todd?"
"I don't remember, now."
"I have, often; she doesn't spare her, sometimes. You know,
yourself, that Mrs. Todd has queer ways of her own."
"She is not perfect, certainly."
"Not by a great deal; and Mrs. Jones has not hesitated to say so.
There is not the least doubt in my mind, that Mrs. Todd has heard
something."
"Perhaps so; but she is very foolish to take any notice of it."
"So I think; but you know she is touchy."