"You see, I don't think the worse of a girl for meeting her
sweetheart here and there and everywhere, till she gets talked about;
but then when she does--and Molly Gibson's name is in everybody's
mouth--I think it's only fair to Bessy, who has trusted me with
Annabella--not to let her daughter be seen with a lass who has
managed her matters so badly as to set folk talking about her. My
maxim is this,--and it's a very good working one, you may depend
on't--women should mind what they're about, and never be talked of;
and if a woman's talked of, the less her friends have to do with her
till the talk has died away, the better. So Annabella is not to have
anything to do with Molly Gibson, this visit at any rate."
For a good while the Miss Brownings were kept in ignorance of the
evil tongues that whispered hard words about Molly. Miss Browning
was known to "have a temper," and by instinct every one who came in
contact with her shrank from irritating that temper by uttering the
slightest syllable against the smallest of those creatures over whom
she spread the ægis of her love. She would and did reproach them
herself; she used to boast that she never spared them: but no one
else might touch them with the slightest slur of a passing word. But
Miss Phoebe inspired no such terror; the great reason why she did
not hear of the gossip against Molly as early as any one, was that,
although she was not the rose, she lived near the rose. Besides, she
was of so tender a nature that even thick-skinned Mrs. Goodenough was
unwilling to say what would give Miss Phoebe pain; and it was the
new-comer Mrs. Dawes, who in all ignorance alluded to the town's
talk, as to something of which Miss Phoebe must be aware. Then Miss
Phoebe poured down her questions, although she protested, even with
tears, her total disbelief in all the answers she received. It was
a small act of heroism on her part to keep all that she then learnt
a secret from her sister Dorothy, as she did for four or five days;
till Miss Browning attacked her one evening with the following
speech:--
"Phoebe! either you've some reason for puffing yourself out with
sighs, or you've not. If you have a reason, it's your duty to tell it
me directly; and if you haven't a reason, you must break yourself of
a bad habit that is growing upon you."
"Oh, sister! do you think it is really my duty to tell you? it would
be such a comfort; but then I thought I ought not; it will distress
you so."