There had been certain nooks and hidden oases where it had been agony to go.

She had considered all kinds of things as being possible.

Perhaps her most certain conviction had been that he would come back some day with a wife whom she, Betty, would try to teach herself to love; but never had she visioned what had now actually occurred, that is Radmore's quiet, commonplace falling-back into the day-to-day life of Old Place.
All at once she heard Timmy's clear treble voice:--"Hullo! There's Betty." Radmore turned and said something Betty did not hear, and the child went off like an arrow from the bow.

Then Radmore, turning, came towards her quickly.

She had no clue to the strange look of pain and indecision on his face, and her heart began to beat, strangely.
When close to her:--"Betty," he said in a low voice, "I want to tell you that I didn't know about George till last night.