What on earth made her so often wound him?
She did not know it was part of the same instinct of self-defense which had had to make up her whole attitude towards life.
Only this time it was unconsciously to hide and so defend the new emotion which was creeping into her heart.
He stayed with his back turned, looking out of the window; so, after waiting a moment, she went from the room.
At the station they found Jimmy Danvers, and a Mr.and Mrs.Harcourt with the latter's sister, Miss Opie, and several men.

The rest of the party, including Emily and Mary, Jimmy told them, had gone down by the eleven o'clock train.
Both Mrs.Harcourt and her sister and, indeed, the whole company were Tristram's old and intimate friends and they were so delighted to see him, and chaffed and were gay, and Zara watched, and saw that her uncle entered into the spirit of the fun in the saloon, and only she was a stranger and out in the cold.
As for Tristram, he seemed to become a different person to the stern, constrained creature of the past week, and he sat in a corner with Mrs.
Harcourt, and bent over her and chaffed and whispered in her ear, and she--Zara--was left primly in one of the armchairs, a little aloof.

But such a provoking looking type of beauty as hers did not long leave the men of the party cold to her charms; and soon Jimmy Danvers joined her and a Colonel Lowerby, commonly known as "the Crow," and she held a little court.

But to relax and be genial and unregal was so difficult for her, with the whole contrary training of all her miserable life.
Hitherto men and, indeed, often women were things to be kept at a distance, as in one way or another they were sure to bite! And after a while the party adjusted itself, some for bridge and some for sleep; and Jimmy Danvers and Colonel Lowerby went into the small compartment to smoke.
"Well, Crow," said Jimmy, "what do you think of Tristram's new lady?
Isn't she a wonder?
But, Jehoshaphat! doesn't she freeze you to death!" "Very curious type," growled the Crow.

"Bit of Vesuvius underneath, I expect." "Yes, that is what a fellow'd think to look at her," Jimmy said, puffing at his cigarette.