He shook his head assentingly.
"Alive ?" she gasped rather than asked.
"And well," he continued.
Mrs.Bennet closed her eyes in a silent prayer.

A light so sweet stole over her matronly face that Lawrence Newt did not fear to say, "And near you; come with me!" They left the room together; and Amy Waring, who knew why they went, followed her aunt and Lawrence from the room.
The three stopped at the door of Lawrence Newt's study.
"Your sister is here," said he; and Amy and he remained outside while Mrs.Bennet entered the room.
It was more than twenty years since the sisters had met, and they clasped each other silently and wept for a long time.
"Martha!" "Lucia!" It was all they said; and wept again quietly.
Aunt Martha was dressed in sober black.

Her face was very comely; for the hardness that came with a morbid and mistaken zeal was mellowed, and the sadness of experience softened it.
"I have lived not far from you, Lucia, all these long years." "Martha! and you did not come to me ?" "I did not dare.

Listen, Lucia.

If a woman who had always gratified her love of admiration, and gloried in the power of gratifying it--who conquered men and loved to conquer them--who was a woman of ungoverned will and indomitable pride, should encounter--as how often they do ?--a man who utterly conquered her, and betrayed her through the very weakness that springs from pride, do you not see that such a woman would go near to insanity--as I have been--believing that I had committed the unpardonable sin, and that no punishment could be painful enough ?" Mrs.Bennet looked alarmed.
"No, no; there is no reason," said her sister, observing it.
"The man came.