You would like to be with her, I know; you would have the calm of feeling taken care of, instead of standing alone in the world." He said all this without letting his tone betray that that double-thoughted mind of his was telling him that this was doubtful, that his mother might be slow to believe in Josephine, and that he was not sure whether Josephine would be attracted by her.
Josephine looked at him with round-eyed surprise; then, apparently conjecturing that the invitation was purely kind, purely stupid, she thanked him, and declined it graciously.
"Is there no folly with which you would not easily credit me ?" He smiled faintly in his reproach.

"Do you think I do not know what I am saying?
I have been awake all night thinking what I could do for you." For a moment he looked at her helplessly, hoping that some hint of the truth would come of itself; then, turning away his face, he said hoarsely: "Le Maitre is on the Gaspe schooner.

O'Shea has had the news.

He is lying drunk in his berth." He did not turn until he heard a slight sound.

Then he saw that she had slipped down from her horse, perhaps because she was afraid of falling from it.