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Rhoda's pride battled with a sense of helplessness so acute that she had much ado not to burst into tears on the spot.
It was quite plain already that Rhoda's company was delightful to him. It had been arranged that Tom should go and fetch his sister on Friday, but by the first post on Friday morning Miss Merivale got a letter from Rose, saying that Pauline would return with her that afternoon, and that there was no need for Tom to come to London. It was at Pauline's instigation Rose had written the letter.
Aunt Priscilla took the baby from Joan and laid it on Rhoda's bosom, and placed her hand tenderly on Rhoda's head. Then it seemed to her that a flicker of life moved over her set and death-like face. "Sing, Joan, sing," said Aunt Priscilla, earnestly; and Joan, with her hands clasped, and her eyes fastened upon Rhoda's dear face, sang in a loud, clear voice Hark! the herald angels sing!
A less subservient reader would have set them down as variations of the language of infatuation; but Rhoda was responsive to every word and change of mood, from the, "I am unworthy, degraded, wretched," to "I am blest above the angels." If one letter said, "We met yesterday," Rhoda's heart beat on to the question, "Shall I see him again to-morrow?"
Thomasina rose from her seat, and waved her hand towards the door. She was all smiles and blandness, but a gasp of dismay sounded through the room, as if a private interview in the Head Girl's study was no light thing to contemplate. Rhoda's heart beat fast with apprehension. What was going to happen. What would take place next?
It happened first of all when we were going by train the same train, by chance after we had both been calling here. He asked me many questions about you, and at last said that he loved you or something that meant the same. Rhoda's eyes had fallen. 'After that pursued Monica, we several times spoke of you. We did so when we happened to meet near his rooms as I have told you.
And there was no rest for her troubled spirit, even in death! She was not sleeping peacefully in the little churchyard down by the shore, where all their kinsfolk lay within sound of the sea by night and day. There was something awful to Aunt Priscilla in the thought of Rhoda's homeless and restless spirit wandering about the places where she had been an innocent and a happy child.
At one verse, Rhoda's reading was like this: "And when we had sailed slowl li many-days and scare scare skar skurse I declar', Aunt Vesty, this print is blombinable! scace Oh, yes, scacely scarce were come over against Ceni Snide Snid Mr. Tilghman, what is this crab-kine of word? Cnidus? I mean suffering suffering us we sailed under I can't spell that nohow; nobody kin!"
Rhoda's eyes, ox-like, as were her father's, smote full upon Robert's, as in a pang of apprehension of what was about to be uttered. It was a quick blaze of light, wherein he saw that the girl's spirit was not with him.
She also was astonished. 'Yes, indeed I was, Miss Barfoot! exclaimed the younger lady, with a merry little laugh. 'I hesitated before speaking of such a frivolous entertainment. Lowering her voice, and casting a smile in Rhoda's direction, Miss Barfoot replied, 'I have to make a concession occasionally on Miss Nunn's account. It would be unkind never to allow her a little recreation.
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