Bella burst into tears, and demanded from Mr. Jauncy why he had brought her there to be insulted.
"You brought it all on yourself," he said, gloomily; "you should have behaved!"
"What have I done," cried Bella, "to be told to go, as if I wasn't fit to stay?"
"I'll tell you what you've done," said Miss Tweddle. "You were asked here with Mr. Jauncy to meet my dear Leandy and his young lady, and get all four of you to know one another, and lay foundations for Friendship's flowery bonds. And from the moment you came in, though I paid no attention to it at first, you've done nothing but insinuate and hint, and try all you could to set my dear Miss Collum and her ma against my poor unoffending nephew; and I won't sit by any longer and hear it. Put on your bonnet and cloak, Miss Parkinson, and Mr. Jauncy (who knows I don't bear him any ill-feeling, whatever happens) will go home with you."
"I've said nothing," repeated Bella, "but what I'd a right to say, and what I'll stand to."
"If you don't put on those things," said Jauncy, "I shall go away myself, and leave you to follow as best you can."
"I'm putting them on," said Bella; and her hands were unsteady with passion as she tied her bonnet-strings. "Don't bully _me_, James, because I won't bear it! Mr. Tweddle, if you're a man, will you sit there and tell me you don't know that that ring is on a certain person's finger? Will you do that?"
[Illustration: HER HANDS WERE UNSTEADY WITH PASSION AS SHE TIED HER BONNET-STRINGS.]
The miserable man concluded that Ada had disregarded his entreaties, and told her sister all about the ring and the accursed statue. He could not see why the story should have so inflamed Bella; but her temper was always uncertain.
Everybody was looking at him, and he was expected to say something. His main idea was, that he would see how much Bella knew before committing himself.
"What have I ever done to offend you," he asked, "that you turn on me in this downright vixenish manner? I scorn to reply to your insinuations!"
"Do you want me to speak out plain? James, stand away, _if_ you please. You may all think what you choose of me. _I_ don't care! Perhaps if _you_ were to come in and find the man who, only a week ago, had offered marriage to your youngest sister, figuring away as engaged to quite another lady, _you_ wouldn't be all milk and honey, either. I'm doing right to expose him. The man who'd deceive one would deceive many, and so you'll find, Miss Collum, little as you think it."