Rhoda walked on to the house with a calm, even step. Wilmot, who met her in the hall, and told her that Miss Merivale was lying down and did not wish to be disturbed, noticed nothing unusual about her. She stood and talked some minutes with the old servant before going upstairs to her room. And she gave her a sunny smile as she left her. Even when she was alone, and had shut the door between her and the world, she did not fling herself down by the bed and burst into tears, as unhappy heroines so often do. She changed her dress, and carefully mended a rent the briers had made in the one she took off. Then she got Hamblin Smith’s Arithmetic and her notebook, and began the hour’s work she set herself every day. A tear or two did come—she could not keep them back; but she worked steadily on. She would not even allow herself to think how she could have offended Tom, or what the explanation of his changed manner could be. She picked out the hardest examples in Complex Fractions she could find, and concentrated her mind on them.
She was still working when Wilmot came to her door.
“Miss Rose and Miss Smythe have not come home, miss. Shall I send in tea? It is past six o’clock.”
Rhoda opened the door. “I will go and ask Miss Merivale, Wilmot.”
Wilmot looked doubtful. Her mistress had given strict orders that she was not to be disturbed.
“I will not go in,” Rhoda said, as she saw her doubtful glance. “I will just knock softly. If she is awake, she might be glad of a cup of tea.”
Rhoda’s first knock was not answered; but when she tapped softly again, she heard Miss Merivale’s voice telling her to come in. Miss Merivale was lying on the bed, with her face turned to the wall. She reached out her hand for Rhoda’s, and clasped it tenderly, but did not turn round.
“My head is very bad, darling. Tell Rose I won’t have any tea. I want to keep quite quiet.”
Rhoda did not tell her that Rose and Pauline had not returned. She was afraid she might be alarmed. The deadly pallor of her face quite frightened her. She spoke to Tom when she went downstairs.
“Miss Merivale looks very ill,” she said, “and she won’t let me do anything for her.”