I cannot comfort myself with the belief that he is innocent." Mr.Clifford's keen eyes were fastened upon Felicita with admiration.
Here was a woman, young and pallid with grief and dread, who neither tried to move him by prayers and floods of tears, nor shrank from acknowledging a truth, however painful.

He had never seen her before, though the costly set of jewels she was wearing had been his own gift to her on her wedding.

He recognized them with pleasure, and looked more attentively at her beautiful but gloomy face.

When he spoke again it was in a manner less harsh and abrupt than it had been before.
"I am not going to ask you any questions about Roland," he said; "you have a right, the best right in the world, to screen him, and aid him in escaping from the just consequences of his folly and crime." "You might ask me," she interrupted, "and I should tell you the simple truth.

I do so now, when I say I know nothing about him.