That he, her hero, so brave, so confident in the face of many dangers, should betray such sense of irredeemable loss, frightened her much more than the incident itself.
Her lips whitened.

Her words become incoherent.
"Tell me," she whispered.

"I can bear anything but silence.

Tell me, I implore you.

Is it so bad ?" The sight of her distress sobered him.