And again she asked herself,
'Why did I come back? And what am I going to do?'
She looked in doubt at the fuming gentleman by the fire, and
suddenly conscience bade her be frank.
'I would like to stay here, Mr. Mannering, and go on with my work. I
have told you so before. I will stay--as long as I can. But I
mustn't burn my boats. I mustn't stay indefinitely. I have come to
see that would not be fair--'
'To whom?' cried the Squire, raising himself--'to whom?'
'To Pamela,' said Elizabeth firmly.
'Pamela!' The Squire leapt from his seat. 'What on earth has Pamela
got to do with it!'
'A very great deal. She is the natural head of your house, and it
would be very difficult for me to go on living here--after--perhaps--I
have just put a few things straight for you, and catalogued the
pots--without getting in her way, and infringing her rights!'
Elizabeth was sitting very erect and bright-eyed. It seemed to her
that some subliminal self for which she was hardly responsible had
suddenly got the better of a hair-splitting casuistical self, which
had lately been in command of her, and that the subliminal self had
spoken words of truth and soberness.
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