Woman's face, woman's eyes, woman's lips--all acutely and blindly and sweetly and terribly truthful in their betrayal! But as her fear was instinctive, so was her clinging to this one and only friend.
Venters gently put her from him and steadied her upon her feet; and all the while his blood raced wild, and a thrilling tingle unsteadied his nerve, and something--that he had seen and felt in her--that he could not understand--seemed very close to him, warm and rich as a fragrant breath, sweet as nothing had ever before been sweet to him.
With all his will Venters strove for calmness and thought and judgment unbiased by pity, and reality unswayed by sentiment.

Bess's eyes were still fixed upon him with all her soul bright in that wistful light.
Swiftly, resolutely he put out of mind all of her life except what had been spent with him.

He scorned himself for the intelligence that made him still doubt.

He meant to judge her as she had judged him.

He was face to face with the inevitableness of life itself.