Explore "Proper Pride, Volume I" by B. M. Croker on Textopian. Read with annotations and highlights.
The day of embarkation arrived only too speedily. It was a persistently pouring wet morning, rain descending in torrents. It cleared a little towards the afternoon, and the Mayhews, accompanied by Alice, started in a close carriage for Portsmouth Dockyard. They had insisted on her accompanying them, saying that, if she did not, it would give rise to a great deal of unpleasant discussion among their friends, several of whom lived at Southsea.
"It is only fair to Reginald," urged Helen. "He has not had time to clear himself yet, and at any rate before the _world_ you will have to keep up appearances. How you can allow him to go -- how you can doubt him, I cannot imagine. You will be exceedingly sorry for yourself some day," she added in a lower voice, accompanied by a look of keen-edged meaning quite lost upon Alice, who was staring vacantly out of the window.