But the instinct of
self-defense awoke in her.
"Who says I was with him last night?"
"The whole place is saying it by now."
"Then it was you that put the lie into their mouths.--Oh, how I've
always hated you!" she cried.
She had expected a retort in kind, and it startled her to hear her
exclamation sounding on through silence.
"Yes, I know," Mr. Royall said slowly. "But that ain't going to help us
much now."
"It helps me not to care a straw what lies you tell about me!"
"If they're lies, they're not my lies: my Bible oath on that, Charity. I
didn't know where you were: I wasn't out of this house last night."
She made no answer and he went on: "Is it a lie that you were seen
coming out of Miss Hatchard's nigh onto midnight?"
She straightened herself with a laugh, all her reckless insolence
recovered. "I didn't look to see what time it was."
"You lost girl... you... you.... Oh, my God, why did you tell me?" he
broke out, dropping into his chair, his head bowed down like an old
man's.
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