They had all been witnesses to his deep disappointment, but that had been attributed to his failure at his office.

He was not a man to seek for sympathy in the sorrows of his heart.

He had told Alaric of his rejection, because he had already told him of his love, but he had whispered no word of it to anyone besides.

On the day on which he received Mrs.Woodward's letter, he appeared at dinner ghastly pale, and evidently so ill as to be all but unable to sit at table; but he would say nothing to anybody; he sat brooding over his grief till he was unable to sit any longer.
And yet Mrs.Woodward had written with all her skill, with all her heart striving to pluck the sting away from the tidings which she had to communicate.

She had felt, however, that she owed as much, at least, to her daughter as she did to him, and she failed to call Alaric perjured, false, dishonoured, unjust, disgraced, and treacherous.