"I asked him, Anne, because I had to know. And he told me."
"I thought he told you."
"Yes, he told me. But I'm a cad for letting you think he didn't care for you. I believe he did, or that he would have cared—awfully—if my father hadn't died just then. Your being in the room that day upset him. If it hadn't been for that—"
"Yes, but there was that. It was like he was when Binky died and he couldn't stand Yearp. Don't you remember how he wouldn't let me go with him to see Yearp because he said he didn't want me mixed up with it. Well—I've been mixed up, that's all."
"Still, Anne, I'm certain he'd have cared—if that's any comfort to you.
You didn't make it up out of your dear little head. We all thought it.
Father thought it. I believe he wanted it. If he'd only known!"
She thought: If he'd only known how he had hurt her, he who had never hurt anybody in all his beautiful life.
"Dear Uncle Robert. There's no good talking about it. I knew, the minute
Jerry said he didn't want me to go to India with him."
"Is that why you didn't go?"
"Yes."
"That was a mistake, Anne. You should have gone."