A moment more and there would be no going back.
She began to tremble, and, wrenching her hands out of his, pressed them before her eyes to shut out the sight of the earnest face so near her own.

But she could not shut out his voice, and Charles's voice could be very gentle, very urgent.
But at the eleventh hour another voice broke in on his, and spoke as one having authority.

Conscience, if accustomed to be disregarded on common occasions, will rarely come to the fore with any decision in emergency; but the weakest do not put him in a place of command all their lives without at least one result--that he has learned the habit of speaking up and making himself attended to in time of need.

He spoke now, urgently, imperatively.

Her judgment, her reason were alike gone for the time, but, when she had paced the solemn aisles of the woods an hour ago in possession of them, had she then even thought of doing what she was on the verge of doing now?
What had happened during that hour to reverse the steadfast resolve which she had made then?
What she had thought right an hour ago remained right now.