For a moment she did not seem to hear; then she said between her teeth:
"It's hard for US. I suppose now we'll have to go straight home."

He looked at her with wonder. "If that were all! In any case I should
have to be back in a few weeks."

"But we needn't have left here in August! It's the first place in Europe
that I've liked, and it's just my luck to be dragged away from it!"

"I'm so awfully sorry, dearest. It's my fault for persuading you to
marry a pauper."

"It's father's fault. Why on earth did he go and speculate? There's no
use his saying he's sorry now!" She sat brooding for a moment and then
suddenly took Ralph's hand. "Couldn't your people do something--help us
out just this once, I mean?"

He flushed to the forehead: it seemed inconceivable that she should make
such a suggestion.

"I couldn't ask them--it's not possible. My grandfather does as much as
he can for me, and my mother has nothing but what he gives her."

Undine seemed unconscious of his embarrassment. "He doesn't give us
nearly as much as father does," she said; and, as Ralph remained silent,
she went on:

"Couldn't you ask your sister, then? I must have some clothes to go home
in."