She was troubled at times about her various relations, anxious to put herself straight with Cowperwood or with any one whom she truly liked.
Compared to Cowperwood and his affairs, Cross and Knowles were trivial, and yet Knowles was interesting to her.

Compared to Cowperwood, Forbes Gurney was a stripling beggar, and yet Gurney had what Cowperwood did not have--a sad, poetic lure.

He awakened her sympathies.

He was such a lonely boy.

Cowperwood was so strong, brilliant, magnetic.
Perhaps it was with some idea of clearing up her moral status generally that she finally said: "Well, I didn't tell you the exact truth about it, either.