Her heart, although she stood so
still and silent, went out to him in grief for the great troubles which
he had endured; but she saw, too, that he came back without a thought of
anger towards her for that fourth feather snapped from her fan. But she
was clear-eyed even at this moment. She saw much more. She understood
that the man who stood quietly before her now was not the same man whom
she had last seen in the hall of Ramelton. There had been a timidity in
his manner in those days, a peculiar diffidence, a continual expectation
of other men's contempt, which had gone from him. He was now quietly
self-possessed; not arrogant; on the other hand, not diffident. He had
put himself to a long, hard test; and he knew that he had not failed.
All that she saw; and her face lightened as she said:--
"It is not all harm which has come of these years. They were not
wasted."
But Feversham thought of her lonely years in this village of
Glenalla--and thought with a man's thought, unaware that nowhere else
would she have chosen to live. He looked into her face, and saw the
marks of the years upon it. It was not that she had aged so much. Her
big grey eyes shone as clearly as before, the colour was still as bright
upon her cheeks.
Pages:
434
435
436
437
438
439
440
441
442
443
444
445
446
447
448
449
450
451
452
453
454
455
456
457
458