Mrs.Waltham shortly rose and went into the house, whither Alfred followed her.

Mutimer kept his seat, and Adela could not leave him to himself, though for the moment he seemed unconscious of her presence.

When they had been alone together for a little while, Richard broke the silence.
'I hope I didn't speak rudely to you; Miss Waltham.

I don't think I need fear to say what I mean, but I know there are always two ways of saying things, and perhaps I chose the roughest.' Adela was conscious of having said a few hard things mentally, and this apology, delivered in a very honest voice, appealed to her instinct of justice.

She did not like Mutimer, and consequently strove against the prejudice which the very sound of his voice aroused in her; it was her nature to aim thus at equity in her personal judgments.
'To describe hard things we must use hard words,' she replied pleasantly, 'but you said nothing that could offend.' 'I fear you haven't much sympathy with my way of looking at the question.