She wished that it had not been so, and vaguely reproached herself without reasoning the matter out to a conclusion.

At all events, she was remorsefully sympathetic in her mental attitude towards Mrs.Osborn, and being sure that she was frightened of her husband's august relative, felt nervous herself because Lord Walderhurst bore himself with undated courtesy and kept his monocle fixed in his eye throughout the interview.

If he had let it drop and allowed it to dangle in an unbiassed manner from its cord, Emily would have felt more comfortable, because she was sure his demeanour would have appeared a degree more encouraging to the Osborns.
"Are you glad to be in England again ?" she asked Mrs.Osborn.
"I never was here before," answered the young woman.

"I have never been anywhere but in India." In the course of the conversation she explained that she had not been a delicate child, and also conveyed that even if she had been one, her people could not have afforded to send her home.

Instinct revealed to Emily that she had not had many of the good things of life, and that she was not a creature of buoyant spirits.