And there was yet another psychological fact that astonished her, though she was only conscious of it in a parenthetical kind of way, and that was the strength of her feeling for Laurie himself.
It seemed to her curious, when she considered it, how the horror of that which lay over the boy seemed, like death itself, to throw out as on a clear background the best of himself.
- His figure appeared to her memory as wholly good and sweet;
- the shadows on his character seemed absorbed in the darkness that lay over him;
- and towards this figure she experienced a sense of protective love and energy that astonished her.
She desired with all her power to seize and rescue him.
Then she drew a long steady breath, thrust out her strong white hand to see if the fingers trembled; went down the stairs, and, without knocking, opened the smoking room door and went straight in, closing it behind her.
There was a screen to be passed round.
She passed round it.
And he sat there on the couch looking at her.