She heard him in the sitting-room and suddenly became conscious that her thoughts had been with him ever since she went to bed, and not with Mirko and his letter.
She supposed he was now reading his pile of correspondence--he had such numbers of fond friends! And then she heard him shut the door, and go round into his room; but the carpets were very thick and she heard no more.
If she could have seen what happened beyond that closed door, would it have opened her eyes, or made her happy?
Who can tell?
For Higgins, with methodical tidiness, had emptied the pockets of the coat his master had worn in the day, and there on top of a letter or two and a card-case was one tiny pink rose, a wee bud that had become detached from the torn bunch.
And when Tristram saw it his heart gave a great bound.

So it had stayed behind, when he had returned the others, and was there now to hurt him with remembrance of what might have been! He was unable to control the violent emotion which shook him.

He went to the window and opened it wide: the moon was rather over, but still blazed in the sky.

Then he bent down and passionately kissed the little bud, while a scorching mist gathered in his eyes..