"If you had not chanced to be here I should probably be lying amongst the rocks down there with several broken bones." "If it were not by my fault I should not care," Regina retorted, with elementary frankness.
"But I should!" Aurora laughed, in spite of herself, and liking this phase of Regina's character better than any she had yet seen.

"Come," she said, with a sudden generous impulse, and holding out her hand, "let us stop quarrelling.

You saved me from a bad accident, and I was too ungenerous to be grateful.

I thank you now, with all my heart." Regina was surprised and stared hard at her for a moment, and then glanced at her outstretched hand.
"You would not take my hand if there were any one here to see." "Why not ?" "Because they have told you that I am a wicked woman," Regina answered, a slight blush rising in her cheeks.

"And perhaps it is true.