She had been standing quite still at one side of the cave leaning on a sarcophagus, in one of those fits of abstraction which had of late come upon her; but on hearing the sound, and seeing Silvio's violent onslaught, she seemed to fall into a positive fury of passion.
Her eyes blazed, and her mouth took a hard, cruel tension which was new to me.

Instinctively she stepped towards Silvio as if to interfere in the attack.

But I too had stepped forward; and as she caught my eye a strange spasm came upon her, and she stopped.

Its intensity made me hold my breath; and I put up my hand to clear my eyes.

When I had done this, she had on the instant recovered her calm, and there was a look of brief wonder on her face.