There was not a bit of him that could by any possibility belong to Miss Quincey.) She had tried to stand between her and her Fate, and she had become her Fate.

Worse than all, she had kept from her the knowledge of the truth--the truth that might have cured her.
Of course she had done that out of consideration for Bastian Cautley.
There it seemed that Rhoda's regard for his feelings ended.

Though she admitted ten times over that he was right, she was by no means more disposed to come to an understanding with him on that account.

On the contrary, when she saw him the very next evening (poor Bastian had chosen his moment indiscreetly) she endeavoured to repair her blunders by visiting them on his irreproachable head, dealing to him a certain painful, but not wholly unexpected back-hander in the face.
She had done all she could for Miss Quincey.

At any rate, she said to herself, she had spared her the final blow..