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After long and serious reflection on the subject, Mrs. Leland felt it to be her duty, as a parent, to see this lady, and frankly ask the reason of her conduct towards Jane, as well as toward her and her husband. She felt called upon to do this, in order to ascertain if there were not some things injurious to her daughter in common report. The lady seemed embarrassed on meeting Mrs. Leland, but the latter, without any excitement, or the appearance of being in the least offended, spoke of what had occurred, and then said–

“Now, there must be a reason for this. Will you honestly tell me what it is?”

The lady seemed confused and hesitated.

“Do not fear to speak plainly, my dear madam. Tell me the whole truth. There is something wrong, and I ought to know it. Put yourself in my place, and you will not long hesitate what to do.”

“It is a delicate and painful subject for me to speak of to you, Mrs. Leland.”

“No matter. Speak out without disguise.”

After some reflection, the lady said–

“I have daughters, and am tremblingly alive to their good. I feel it to be my duty to protect them from all associations likely to do them an injury. Am I not right in this?”

“Undoubtedly.”

“There is one young man in this city whose very name should shock the ear of innocence and purity. I mean Clement.”

“You cannot think worse of him than I do.”

“And yet, I am told, Mrs. Leland, that your daughter may be seen on the street with him almost every day; and not only on the streeet, but at balls, concerts, and the theatre.”

“Who says so?”

“I have heard it from several,” replied the lady, speaking slower and more thoughtfully. “Mrs. Halloran mentioned it to the person who first told me; and, since then, I have frequently heard it spoken of.”

In answer to this, Mrs. Leland related the whole history of her intercourse with Mrs. Halloran, and the cause of its interruption. She then said–

“Once, only, are we aware of our daughter’s having met this young man. Since then, she has gone out but rarely, and has not been from home a single evening, unless in our company; so that the broad charge of association with Clement is unfounded, and has had its origin in a malignant spirit.”

“I understand it all, now, clearly,” replied the lady. “Mrs. Halloran is a woman of no principle. You have deeply offended her, and she takes this method of being revenged.”

“That is the simple truth. I was urged by my husband not to call upon her when she moved in our square, but I felt it to be only right to visit her as a neighbor.”

“A woman like Mrs. Halloran is not to be regarded as a neighbor,” replied the lady.

“So my husband argued, but I was blind enough to think differently, and to act as I thought. Dearly enough am I paying for my folly. Where the consequences will end is more than I can tell.”

“We may be able to counteract them to a certain extent,” said the lady. “Understanding as I now do, clearly, your position toward Mrs. Halloran, I will be able to neutralize a great deal that she says. But I am afraid your daughter is misleading you in some things, and giving color to what is said of her.”

“How so?” asked Mrs. Leland in surprise.

“Was she out yesterday?”

“Yes. She went to see her cousins in the morning.”

“One of my daughters says she met her in the street, in company with the very individual of whom we are speaking.”

“Impossible!”

“My daughter says she is not mistaken,” returned the lady.

Mrs. Leland’s distress of mind, as to this intelligence, may be imagined. On returning home, she found that Jane had gone out during her absence. She went up into her daughter’s room, and found a note addressed to Jane lying upon her table. After some reflection, she felt it to be her duty to open the note, which she did. It was from Mary Halloran, and in these words:–