It was her mission in life, she said, to stay at home and have meals ready for people when they returned, and it was much better that the brother and sister should have their walks alone, she told herself.
Excessive selfconfidence was not one of Jean's faults.

She was much afraid of boring people by her presence, and shrank from being the third that constitutes "a crowd." One afternoon Lewis Elliot called at The Rigs.
"Sitting alone, Jean?
Well, it's nice to find you in.

I thought you would be out with your new friends." "Lord Bidborough has motored Pamela down Tweed to see some people," Jean explained.

"They asked me to go with them, but I thought I might perhaps be in the way.

Lord Bidborough is frightfully pleased to be able to hire a motor to drive.