She felt calm and more herself, more an isolated, independent human being than ever before in her life.

She thought of all the things she ought to have said to Pete.

The reason why she felt no obligation to him was that she was one with him.

She was prepared to sacrifice him exactly as she was, or ought to be, willing to sacrifice herself; whereas her mother--it seemed as if her mother's power surrounded her in every direction, as solid as the ancients believed the dome of heaven.
Pringle appeared in the doorway in his eternal hunt for the tea-things.
"May I take the tray, miss ?" he said.
She nodded, hardly glancing at the untouched tea-table.

Pringle, as he bent over it, observed that it was nice to have Mr.Farron back.
Mathilde remembered that she, too, had once been interested in her stepfather's return.
"Where's my mother, Pringle ?" "Mrs.Farron's in her room, I think, miss, and Mr.Lanley's with her." Lanley had stopped as usual to ask after his son-in-law.