This gentle yielding was new in her; it touched the elder lady to the quick, even whilst it pained her.

Well she knew that some trouble must have gone to the smoothing of that imperious nature.
Stephen's inner life in these last few days was so bitterly sad that she kept it apart from all the routine of social existence.

Into it never came now, except as the exciting cause of all the evil, a thought of Leonard.

The saddening memory was of Harold.

And of him the sadness was increased and multiplied by a haunting fear.