The spring languor also was upon her.

She was not a strong woman, but she never dreamed of refusing to go to Ann Edwards's and assist her in her sad preparations.
She and Belinda Lamb remained and worked until midnight; then they went home.

Jerome had to escort them through the silent village street--he had remained up for that purpose.

Elmira had been sent to bed.

When the boy came home alone along the familiar road, between the houses with their windows gleaming with blank darkness in his eyes, with no sound in his ears save the hoarse bark of a dog when his footsteps echoed past, a great strangeness of himself in his own thoughts was upon him.
He had not the feminine ability to ease descent into the depths of sorrow by catching at all its minor details on the way.