Mrs. Smith is such an odd character. We only have two real scenes with her and yet they present such a radical opposite view of her. In one we have the stoic invalid, cheerful and full of harmless gossip. In the other we have a quite a manipulator whose gossip, we find is not merely harmless.

I agree that it is difficult to trust her, especially since she begins the whole second meeting with an obvious attempt to butter Anne up. She would see her married to a man she knows to be unscrupulous just to have an in with that man.

I find no way to rationalize on her behalf, except that she is clearly in a desparate situation. Not that it excuses her behavior, but it makes it more understandable and I think that Anne with her charitable (often too charitable) nature, will have a heart to forgive her on the grounds that were she in a similar straightened circumstance and helplessness, she might be tempted to use whatever means she could to try to help herself. Who among us has been in such a situation and if I imagine it for myself, I cannot say that I would be above attempting to manipulate what friends and leverage I may have for survival.