“Mydearestgirl，“shebegan，“wasthereeversuchanunfortunateandincomprehensiblespeechmadebefore？OfcourseitisscarcelynecessarytoexplaintoyoupoorArthur’slackoftact，andthathemeantnothing。Butthey！Cantheybeexpectedtounderstand？Hewillfeelwretchedlyaboutitwhenherealizeswhathehasdone，butinthemeantime？AndM。Roux，ofallmen！Whenweweresofortunateastogethim，andhemadehimselfsounreservedlyagreeable，andIfanciedthat，inhisway，Arthurquiteadmiredhim。Mydear，youhavenoideawhatthatspeechhasdone。SchemetzkinandHerrSchottehavealreadysentmewordthattheymustleaveustomorrow。Suchathingfromahost！“Flaviapaused，chokedbytearsofvexationanddespair。
Imogenwasthoroughlydisconcerted；thiswasthefirsttimeshehadeverseenFlaviabetrayanypersonalemotionwhichwasindubitablygenuine。Sherepliedwithwhatconsolationshecould。“Needtheytakeitpersonallyatall？Itwasamereobservationuponaclassofpeople——“
“Whichheknowsnothingwhateverabout，andwithwhomhehasnosympathy，“interruptedFlavia。“Ah，mydear，youcouldnotbeexpectedtounderstand。Youcan’trealize，knowingArthurasyoudo，hisentirelackofanyaestheticsensewhatever。Heisabsolutelynil，stonedeafandstarkblind，onthatside。
Hedoesn’tmeantobebrutal，itisjustthebrutalityofutterignorance。Theyalwaysfeelit——theyaresosensitivetounsympatheticinfluences，youknow；theyknowitthemomenttheycomeintothehouse。Ihavespentmylifeapologizingforhimandstrugglingtoconcealit；butinspiteofme，hewoundsthem；
hisveryattitude，eveninsilence，offendsthem。Heavens！DoI