Violet Jacob > Irresolute Catherine

BETHESDA
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grey-haired woman together; the girl’s
colour was mounting and fading again in
her face. She looked over for a moment
at her affianced husband, and he could see
the exaltation that burned in her eyes,
suggesting to him more than ever the idea
of martyrdom. That sexless exaltation
divided her from him too. He shifted from
foot to foot and a smouldering anger was in
him. It grew as he noticed that, though the
other three wore boots and stockings, she
had slipped her feet into a pair of shoes
only and her bare ankles could be seen
under her stuff petticoat. Heber’s eyes,
which looked dark indeed, were set on
her, and, as Saunders suddenly perceived
him among the trees, the anger kindled in
him like a flame.
He knew little of the man, scarcely more
than that he was Catherine’s old lover, and
that the two had parted because of some
trivial disagreement ; but he had once
drawn from her the admission that she had
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