There were other circumstances--" "Oh, Alice!" Kate broke out, "how can you speak of such things?
Here are we at present, owing more than our lives to this man, and you are going now to damage him by raking up that miserable old story.
"Mr.Barker," she said impulsively, "my father, one of the most just, as well as one of the most kind of men, had the highest opinion of Reuben Whitney; believe me, there was nothing in the circumstances to which Alice alludes which could cast the slightest slur upon his character." "I feel certain of that, my dear young lady," Mr.Barker said, "even without your assurance.

Your sister is shaken by the events of the day, and no wonder; and I am quite sure that when she thinks this matter over she will see that, whatever her preconceived ideas may be, it would be most ungrateful and ungenerous to breathe a single word in disparagement of Captain Whitney." So saying, he turned on his heel and left the room; and Kate, wishing to avoid further words on the matter with her sister, followed his example.
Mrs.Donald's reflections were not pleasant.

She felt that Mr.
Barker's reproof was well deserved, and that she had acted ungratefully and ungenerously.

As a rule, Mr.Ellison's elder daughter was by no means of an unkind disposition; but she was essentially her mother's child.
The question of Reuben Whitney had been one which had caused more serious dissension, between her father and mother, than any she ever remembered.

She had taken her mother's view of the case, while Kate had agreed with her father; and although the subject had been dropped, by mutual consent, it had been a very sore one; and at the sight of Reuben, the remembrance of the old unpleasantness had caused her to play a part which she could not but feel was mean and unworthy.