He had unwittingly touched such a flower once, a flower of wonderful waxen loveliness, and it had produced a pustular eruption on his hand.

She was like that.Poisonous.Treacherous.A creature with as little soul as that flower had perfume.

It was this change in him, in his conception and his memory of her, that he would have given much to have Father Roland understand.
During this period of his own transformation he had observed a curious change in Father Roland.

At times, after leaving Tavish's cabin, the Little Missioner seemed struggling under the weight of a deep and gloomy oppression.

Once or twice, in the firelight, it had looked almost like sickness, and David had seen his face grow wan and old.