The joys and woes of others were not hers; still she could be moved and stirred by them, even to self-denial, and was very capable of feeling quite a passionate interest for others; only, those others must be her own immediate belongings and no one else.

Thus a more devoted and anxious wife, or a more loving mother would have been hard to find; but, if we compare her faculty for loving with a star, its rays were too short to reach further than to those nearest to her, and these regarded it as an exceptional state of grace to be included within the narrow circle of those beloved by her somewhat grudging soul.
She knocked at Orion's sitting-room, and he hailed her late visit with surprise and pleasure.

She had come to speak of a matter of importance, and had done so promptly, for her son's and Paula's conduct just now urged her to lose no time.

Something was going on between these two and her husband's niece was far outside the narrow limits of her loving kindness.
This, she began by saying, would not allow her to sleep.

She had but one heart's desire and his father shared it: Orion must know full well what she meant; she had spoken to him about it only yesterday.