After the Storm

As Mrs. Talbot ran on in this strain, Mrs. Emerson had time to

reflect and school her exterior. Toward Major Willard her feelings

were those of disgust and detestation. The utterance of his name

shocked her womanly delicacy, but when it was coupled with a

sentiment of admiration for her, and an intimation of the probable

existence of something reciprocal on her part, it was with

difficulty that she could restrain a burst of indignant feeling. But

her strong will helped her, and she gave no intelligible sign of

what was really passing in her thoughts. The subject being

altogether disagreeable, she changed it as soon as possible.

In this interview with Mrs. Talbot a new impression in regard to her

was made on the mind of Mrs. Emerson. Something impure seemed to

pervade the mental atmosphere with which she was surrounded, and

there seemed to be things involved in what she said that shadowed a

latitude in morals wholly outside of Christian duty. When they

separated, much of the enthusiasm which Irene had felt for this

specious, unsafe acquaintance was gone, and her power over her was

in the same measure lessened.