She was sure that the excursion to London had appealed to her mother's latent love of the unexpected, and that her faculty for accepting placidly whatever fate offered would prevent her from resisting the pressure that Sarah Gailey and Mr.Cannon would obviously exert.
"Shall you!" Mrs.Lessways muttered.
"Why not take your daughter with you, too ?" Mr.Cannon suggested.
"Oh!" cried Hilda, shocked.

"I couldn't possibly leave my work just now....

The paper just coming out....

You couldn't spare me." She spoke with pride, using phrases similar to those which he had used to explain to Sarah Gailey why he could not remain with her in London even for a night.
"Oh yes, I could," he answered kindly, lightly, carelessly, shattering--in his preoccupation with one idea--all her fine, loyal pretensions.

"We should manage all right." III She was hurt.