And little by little, as she looked at him, her cheeks grew, if not red, less pale, her eyes lost their tense and hopeless gaze.

She heaved a quivering sigh, and slowly carried her look round the room.
Its homely comfort, augmented by the hour and the firelight, seemed to lap them round.

The door was locked, the shutters were closed, the lamp burned cheerfully.

And he sat opposite--sat as if they had been long married.

The colour grew deeper in her face as she gazed; she breathed more quickly; her eyes shone.