"You can't remain here, Annette."
"You said before at Fontainebleau that I could not remain, but I did."
Mrs. Stoddart recognized, not for the first time, behind Annette's mildness an obstinacy before which she was powerless.
As usual, she tried another tack.
"For the sake of your aunts you ought to leave at once, and you ought to persuade them to go with you, before the first breath of scandal reaches Riff."
"Yes, we must all go. Of course we can't go on living here, but I would rather see Roger first. Roger is good, and he is so kind. He will understand about the aunts, and give me a few days to make it as easy to them as it can be made, poor dears."
"You ought to prepare their minds for leaving Riff. I should not think that would be difficult, for they lamented to me that they were buried here, and only remained on your account."
"Yes, they always say that. I will tell them I don't like it, and as they don't like it either, it would be best if we went away."
"You are wishing that nothing had been kept from them in the first instance?" said Mrs. Stoddart, deeply wounded, though she kept an inflexible face.