She had her faults, no doubt, and she knew that the
world was bad, but she had never dreamt of such barefaced and utterly
monstrous cynicism as Sabina's. If the girl had been overcome with
shame and repentance, and had broken down entirely, imploring help and
forgiveness, as would have seemed natural, the Baroness, for her own
social sake, might have been at last moved to help her out of her
trouble. Instead, being a person of rigid virtue and judging the
situation in the only way really possible for her to see it, she was
both disgusted and horrified. It was no wonder. But she was not
prepared for Sabina's answer.
"If I were strong enough, I would kill you," said the young girl,
quietly laying her head on the pillow again.
The Baroness laughed hysterically. She felt as if she were in the
presence of the devil himself. She was not at all a hysterical woman
nor often given to dramatic exhibitions of feeling, but she had never
dreamt that a human being could behave with such horribly brazen
shamelessness.
For some moments there was silence. Then Sabina spoke, in a quietly
scornful tone, while the Baroness turned her back on her and stood
quite still, looking out of the window.
"I suppose you have a right to be surprised," Sabina said, "but you
have no right to insult me and say things that are not true.
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