The ferment of spirit going on in her breast was the inevitable process of self-recognition which follows the terrible unfolding of the passion-flower, in a nature almost absolutely simple and unsophisticated.
Vincennes held its breath while waiting for news from Helm's expedition.

Every day had its nimble, yet wholly imaginary account of what had happened, skipping from mouth to mouth, and from cabin to cabin.

The French folk ran hither and thither in the persistent rain, industriously improving the dramatic interest of each groundless report.

Alice's disturbed imagination reveled in the kaleidoscopic terrors conjured up by these swift changes of the form and color of the stories "from the front," all of them more or less tragic.

To-day the party is reported as having been surprised and massacred to a man--to-morrow there has been a great fight, many killed, the result in doubt--next day the British are defeated, and so on.