What did the dear old man suppose she wanted the money for?
It hurt her pride that she must appear in this spendthrift light to eyes so honest and scrupulous.
But what could she do?
Fanny poured out ugly reports of her mother's financial necessities to Muriel Colwood; Mrs.Colwood repeated them to Diana.

And the Mertons were Diana's only kinsfolk.

The claim of blood pressed her hard.
Meanwhile, with a shrinking distaste, she had tried to avoid the personal discussion of the matter with Fanny.

The task of curbing the girl's impatience, day after day, had fallen to Mrs.Colwood.
Diana was still standing in a reverie before the "Annunciation" when the drawing-room door opened.

As she looked round her, she drew herself sharply together with the movement of a sudden and instinctive antipathy.
"That's all right," said Fanny Merton, surveying the room with satisfaction, and closing the door behind her.