She made no effort to control them; at her age tears are the easiest resource in time of grief.

Norman had kept her back a moment to whisper one word of love, and she then followed her mother into the room.
Katie was now kneeling at her mother's feet.

'Linda,' she said, with more quietness than either of the others was able to assume, 'what has happened?
what makes mamma so unhappy?
Has anything happened to Alaric ?' But Linda was in no state to tell anything.
'Do tell me, mamma,' said Katie; 'do tell me all at once.

Has anything--anything happened to--to Charley ?' 'Oh, it is worse than that, a thousand times worse than that!' said Mrs.Woodward, who, in the agony of her own grief, became for the instant ungenerous.
Katie's blood rushed back to her heart, and for a moment her own hand relaxed the hold which she had on that of her mother.

She had never spoken of her love; for her mother's sake she had been silent; for her mother's sake she had determined to suffer and be silent--now, and ever! Well; she would bear this also.