The next morning Lady Torrendale, who dearly loved what she called a little mystification, sent for Matilda early to her chamber, and accosted her with ‘How now my little gipsey witch, what have you been doing to cause such a hurly-burly in the middle region of the air! Lionhart swears the candles always burn blue when you are in the room, and I begin to believe it. Yet I warn you, despise not the counsel of a more excellent / witch than yourself; beware of the light wings of Miss Langrish's eyes, dread the thunder-bolts of Miss Hautenville's tongue, and as for the Mountain, take care it does not turn out a Vesuvius.’

Though used to a good deal of similar rhodomontade, in the pleasantries that each individual allowed themselves almost perpetually to act upon the others, at Woodlands; there was a laughing malice in her Ladyship's eyes, which seemed to announce to Matilda, that something more than common lurked beneath this violent shew of spirits: her nerves were not as strong as formerly, and rather startled and distressed, by the number of unpleasant images her livelier friend had huddled together in this strange address, she answered,

‘I am surely a very insignificant object for indignation, so great as your Ladyship alludes to.’

‘Oh no – certainly Miss Melbourne is the most insignificant creature in company, whereever she appears. She never attracts the gaze of the most humble swain, or brings home from the field a single prisoner; but at the same time, if ladies will listen, and if gentlemen will declare themselves –’

‘I assure you Madam,’ said Matilda, filled with an uneasiness and alarm that she had never experienced before, ‘you are misinformed if you imagine that –’

‘Nay, you will not deny that Strathallan has more than once declared himself –’ ‘Permit me to assure you Madam –’

‘Dissatisfied with Spencer, and ennuied with his present situation – I mean, has he not said so to you? Come, own the truth.’