'Because what, Rhoda?' said Lady Sarah, looking at her curiously. The girl blushed up, and seemed embarrassed, and began pulling the ribbon and the cross round her neck. It had come out again the last few days.
'Have you heard anything of George?' Lady Sarah went on.
'How should I?' said Rhoda, looking up; then she turned a little pale, then she blushed again. 'Dolly, look,' she said, 'who is it?'
It was Mr. Raban, the giver of the diamond cross, who came walking up along the side-path, following old Sam. There was a little scrunching of chair-legs to welcome him. John Morgan shook him by the hand. Lady Sarah looked pleased.
'This was kind of you,' she said.
Raban looked shy. 'I am afraid you won't think so,' he said. 'I wanted a few minutes' conversation with you.'
Rhoda opened her wide brown eyes. Henley, who had said a stiff 'How-dy-do?' and wished to go on with the conversation, now addressed himself to Dolly.
'I always doubt the fact when people say that impulse is the voice of one's inner life. I consider that principle should be its real interpretation.'
Nobody exactly understood what he meant, nor did he himself, if the truth were to be told; but the sentence had occurred to him.
'An inner life,' said Dolly, presently, looking at the birds. 'I wonder what it means? I don't think I have got one.'