The great world's drama, in which he knew that he, too, would surely continue to play his part, seemed like a thing far off, the concern of another race of men.
Every fibre of his being seemed attuned to the magic and the music of one wild hope.

Yet when there came what he had listened for so long, the hope seemed frozen into fear.

He sat a little forward in his easy-chair, his hands griping its sides, his eyes fixed upon the slowly widening crack in the panel.

It was as it had been before.

She stooped low, stood up again and came towards him.