All this was more obvious to him than
the consideration that a daughter should be merciful. Where was his
religion if he understood mercy so little, and where were his talent
and his courage if he were so miserably afraid of trumpery social
penalties? Rose's heart sank when she reflected that a man supposed
to be first-rate hadn't guessed that rather than not do what she
could for her mother she would give up all the Engineers in the
world. She became aware that she probably would have been moved to
place her hand in his on the spot if he had come to her saying "Your
idea is the right one; put it through at every cost." She couldn't
discuss this with him, though he impressed her as having too much at
stake for her to treat him with mere disdain. She sickened at the
revelation that a gentleman could see so much in mere vulgarities of
opinion, and though she uttered as few words as possible, conversing
only in sad smiles and headshakes and in intercepted movements toward
the door, she happened, in some unguarded lapse from her reticence,
to use the expression that she was disappointed in him. He caught at
it and, seeming to drop his field-glass, pressed upon her with
nearer, tenderer eyes.
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