RosalieVanderpoelwasaclean—mindedlittleperson，herpeoplewereoftheclean—mindedtype，thereforeshedidnotunderstandallthatthisironicspeechimplied，butshegatheredenoughofitssignificancetocausehertoturnfirstredandthenpaleandthentoburstintotears。ShewascryingandtryingtoconcealthefactwhenHannahreturned。Shebentherheadandtouchedhereyesfurtivelywhilehertoilettewascompleted。
SirNigelhadretiredfromthescene，buthehaddonesofeelingthathehadplantedaseedandbestowedapracticallesson。Hehad，itistrue，bestowedone，butagainshehadnotunderstooditssignificanceandwasonlyleftbewilderedandunhappy。Shebegantobenervousanduncertainaboutherselfandabouthismoodsandpointsofview。Shehadneverbeenmadetofeelsoathome。Everyonehadbeenkindtoherandlenienttoherlackofbrilliancy。Noonehadexpectedhertobebrilliant，andshehadbeenquitesweet—
temperedlyresignedtothefactthatshewasnotthekindofgirlwhoshoneeitherinsocietyorelsewhere。Shedidnotresentthefactthatsheknewpeoplesaidofher，\"Sheisn’tintheleastbitbright，RosyVanderpoel，butshe’sanice，sweetlittlething。\"Shehadtriedtobeniceandsweetandhadaspiredtonothinghigher。
Butnowthatseemedsomuchlessthanenough。PerhapsNigeloughttohavemarriedoneofthecleverones，someonewhowouldhaveknownhowtounderstandhimandwhowouldhavebeenmoreentertainingthanshecouldbe。Perhapsshewasbeginningtoborehim，perhapshewasfindingheroutandbeginningtogettired。Atthispointthealwaystooreadytearswouldrisetohereyesandshewouldbeoverwhelmedbyasenseofhomesickness。Oftenshecriedherselfsilentlytosleep，longingforhermother——hernice，comfortable，ordinarymother，whomshehadseveraltimesfeltNigelhadsomedifficultyinbeingunreservedlypoliteto——thoughhehadbeenpoliteonthesurface。
Bythetimetheylandedshehadbeenlivingundersomuchstraininherefforttoseemquiteunchanged，thatshehadlosthernerve。Shedidnotfeelwellandwassometimesafraidthatshemightdosomethingsillyandhystericalinspiteofherself，begintocryforinstancewhentherewasreallynoexplanationforherdoingit。ButwhenshereachedLondonthenoveltyofeverythingsoexcitedherthatshethoughtshewasgoingtobebetter，andthenshesaidtoherselfitwouldbeprovedtoherthatallherfearshadbeennonsense。Thisreturnofhopemadeherquitelight—spirited，andshewasalmostgayinherlittleoutburstsofdelightandadmirationasshedroveaboutthestreetswithherhusband。Shedidnotknowthatheringenuousignoranceofthingshehadknownallhislife，herraptureovercommonmonumentsofhistory，ledhimtosaytohimselfthathefeltratherasifheweretakingahousemaidtoseeaLordMayor’sShow。