"Certainly not," said Mrs. Bazalgette, sharply.
"Excuse us, dear," said Lucy in the same breath.
"Well, Lucy," said Mrs. Bazalgette, "am I wrong about your uncle's
selfishness! I have tried in vain ever since I came here to make you
see it where _you_ were the only sufferer."
"Not quite in vain, aunt," said Lucy sadly; "you have shown me defects
in my poor uncle that I should never have discovered."
Mrs. Bazalgette smiled grimly.
"Only, as you hate him, and I love him, and always mean to love him,
permit me to call his defects 'thought-lessness.' _You_ can apply
the harsh term 'selfish-ness' to the most good-natured, kind,
indulgent--oh!"
"Ha! ha! Don't cry, you silly girl. Thoughtless? a calculating old
goose, who is eternally aiming to be a fox--never says or does
anything without meaning something a mile off. Luckily, his veil is so
thin that everybody sees through it but you. What do you think of his
_thought-less-ness_ in getting a tutor gratis? Poor Mr. Dodd!"
"I will answer for it, it is a pleasure to Mr. Dodd to be of service
to his little friend," said Lucy, warmly.
"How do you know a bore is a pleasure to Mr. Dodd?"
"Mr. Dodd is a new acquaintance of yours, aunt, but I have had
opportunities of observing his character, and I assure you all this
pity is wasted."
"Why, Lucy, what did you say to Arthur just now. You are contradicting
_yourself."_
"What a love of opposition I must have. Are you not tired of in-doors?
Shall we go into the village?"
"No; I exhausted the village yesterday.
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