That, on the whole, she was not comfortable, or at least much less so than during our suddenly abbreviated honeymoon, was apparent; but her loss of brightness and cheerfulness was visible chiefly in her weary and downcast looks on any occasion when, after being absent for some hours from the house, I came upon her unawares.

In my presence she was always calm and peaceful, kind, and seemingly at ease; and if she saw or heard me on my return, though she carefully avoided any appearance of eagerness to greet me sooner than others, or to claim especial attention, she ever met me with a smile of welcome as frank and bright as a young bride on Earth could give to a husband returning to her sole society from a long day of labour for her sake.
In so far as compliance was possible I was compelled to admit the wisdom of Eveena's plea that no open distinction should be made in her favour.

Except in the simple fact of our affection, there was no assignable reason for making her my companion more frequently than Eunane or Eive.

Except that I could trust her completely, there was no distinction of age, social rank, or domestic relation to afford a pretext for exempting her from restraints which, if at first I thought them senseless and severe, were soon justified by experience of the kind of domestic control which just emancipated school-girls expected and required.

Nor would she accept the immunity tacitly allowed her.
It was not that any established custom or right bounded the arbitrary power of domestic autocracy.