No perceptible change was displayed.

She was Mrs.Lovell still; vivacious and soft; flame-coloured, with the arrowy eyelashes; a pleasant companion, who did not play the woman obtrusively among men, and show a thirst for homage.

All the difference appeared to be, that there was an absence as of some evil spiritual emanation.
And here a thought crossed him--one of the memorable little evanescent thoughts which sway us by our chance weakness; "Does she think me wanting in physical courage ?" Now, though the difference between them had been owing to a scornful remark that she had permitted herself to utter, on his refusal to accept a quarrel with one of her numerous satellites, his knowledge of her worship of brains, and his pride in his possession of the burdensome weight, had quite precluded his guessing that she might haply suppose him to be deficient in personal bravery.

He was astounded by the reflection that she had thus misjudged him.

It was distracting; sober-thoughted as he was by nature.