So that when only she and Pamela were left in the hall she went up
to the girl, not without agitation.
'Pamela--won't you tell me?--have I done anything to offend you and
Desmond?'
She spoke very quietly, but her tone showed her wounded. Pamela
started and looked up.
'I don't know what you mean,' she said coldly. 'Did you think we had
been rude to you?'
It was the first hostile word they had ever exchanged.
Elizabeth grew pale.
'I didn't say anything about your being rude. I asked you if you
were cross with me.'
'Oh--cross!' said Pamela, suddenly conscious of a suffocating
excitement. 'What's the good of being cross? It's you who are
mistress here.'
Elizabeth fell back a step in dismay.
'I do think you ought to explain,' she said after a moment. 'If I
had done anything you didn't like--anything you thought unkind, I
should be very very sorry.'
Pamela rose from her seat. Elizabeth's tone seemed to her pure
hypocrisy. All the bitter, poisonous stuff she had poured out to
Desmond the night before was let loose again.
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