If she had revered him less she could have borne to confess to him.

She added it would be a relief to her to confide in him.
"Then tell me all," said he.
She consented almost eagerly, and told him--nearly all.

The old man was deeply affected.

He murmured in a broken voice, "Your story is the story of your sex, self-sacrifice, first to your mother, then to Camille, now to your husband." "And he is well worthy of any sacrifice I can make," said Josephine.
"But oh, how hard it is to live!" "I hope to make it less hard to you ere long," said the doctor quietly.
He then congratulated himself on having forced Josephine to confide in him.

"For," said he, "you never needed an experienced friend more than at this moment.