Dare had not stayed after luncheon, being at times nervously afraid of giving her too much of his society; and she was at liberty to read over again, if she chose, the solitary letter which the Sunday post had brought her.

But she did not do so; she was thinking.
And so her sister Anna was actually returning to England at last! She and her husband had taken a house in Rome, and had arranged that Ruth should join them in London in November, and go abroad with them after Christmas for the remainder of the winter.

She had pleasant recollections of previous winters in Rome, or, on the Riviera with her grandmother, and she was surprised that she did not feel more interested in the prospect.

She supposed she would like it when the time came, but she seemed to care very little about it at the present moment.

It had become very natural to live at Slumberleigh, and although there were drawbacks--here she glanced involuntarily at her aunt, who was making her slumbers vocal by a running commentary on them through her nose--still she would be sorry to go.