And then a very low contralto voice, indescribably sweet, and with an audacious ripple of laughter running through it, swept all her scruples into the rubbish heap.

There was no doubting the sincerity of the speaker.
"It was so nice of you not to run away, Miss Tennant." As she spoke, Mrs.Durward shook hands cordially.

"Poor Geoffrey couldn't help being the heir, you know, and if you'd refused to stay, he'd have felt just like the villain in a cinema film.

You've saved us from becoming the crawling, self-reproachful wretches." Then she turned and beckoned to her son.

"This is Tim," she said simply, but the quality of her voice was very much as though she had announced: "This is the sun, and moon, and stars." As mother and son stood side by side, Sara's first impression was that she had never seen two more beautiful people.