This was her moment of triumph and
recompense--for the very unconsciousness of his coming doubled
its value. He would sit for half an hour with a preoccupied
glance, or with keen, alert eyes fixed on the fire, while his
ideas sorted themselves and fell into line. Sometimes he was
silent for the whole half-hour, sometimes he commented to
himself as he scanned his notes; but on other and rarer
occasions he talked, speaking his thoughts and his theories
aloud, with the enjoyment of a man who knows himself fully in
his depth, while Eve sipped her tea or stitched peacefully at
a strip of embroidery.
On these occasions she made a perfect listener. Here and
there she encouraged him with an intelligent remark, but she
never interrupted. She knew when to be silent and when to
speak; when to merge her own individuality and when to make it
felt. In these days of stress and preparation he came to her
unconsciously for rest; he treated her as he might have
treated a younger brother--relying on her discretion, turning
to her as by right for sympathy, comprehension, and friendship.
Pages:
303
304
305
306
307
308
309
310
311
312
313
314
315
316
317
318
319
320
321
322
323
324
325
326
327