"I would rather talk to you before we get to the house. I want to see you alone," said Robina. "Very well," said Mr Durrant. He gave his servant directions, and the carriage disappeared towards the stables. Mr Durrant then took Robina's hand. "Now what is it, my dear child?" he said. "You don't look well, dear. Robina, what is wrong with you?" "You know what is going to happen to-day, don't you?" said Robina. "Yes," said Mr Durrant. "I have got to choose between you and Harriet. The decision will be forced to rest a good deal with Ralph, but--" "Listen," said Robina. "Please don't say any more. I am awfully sorry, but I want you to believe as long as you live, I want you always to believe that Robina Starling loves you and loves Ralph, and that I can never, never forget your kindness to me; but I cannot be Ralph's school-mother." "My clear child!" "I can't--I can't give you any reason: I want you to let me go away. I have been unhappy about this, and there is nothing for me to do but--but to go away, and I want to go away to-day and not to see Ralph again, nor the other girls again until we meet at school. And please keep Bo-peep, because I don't think I ought to have him; and forget that you ever knew me, except just keep the one little bit of memory that, although I can't explain anything, I love you and Ralph just awfully." "But Robina--this is the most extraordinary thing I ever heard of! You accepted the position of standing on trial for this post. I have spoken to your parents; I have practically made up my mind to elect you, unless Ralph himself by his conduct makes it impossible for me to do so. How can you, my dear Robina, give the thing up now, and without a reason of any sort? This is unfair to me; this is unjust to yourself; this is more than unjust to Ralph." "I have made up my mind," said Robina. "I may be right, or I may be wrong; but I have made up my mind; I am not going to compete. There is not only Harriet," she continued; "there is Patience, and there is Frederica, and there are the three Amberleys--you have other girls to choose from, and I am going out of it. Please let me go home; I cannot be Ralph's school-mother: I really, really cannot." Mr Durrant looked now not only puzzled but annoyed. "You disappoint me," he said. "I don't understand you." They had come at this moment to the margin of the round pond, and there were the water-lilies with all their cups of white and gold wide open, the sun shining on them, and there was the water itself glistening in the sunlight; and there was the willow bough. Robina turned away with a sick heart. "I mean you _could_ not understand," she said, "and that is the worst thing of all: and I can't explain, I can't! Let me go back please, to-day: and as you cannot love me after this, forget me utterly."