He left her abruptly and joined the group of the three elders by the window. She came to Herold, who had been standing with his back against the empty fireplace.
“You must be very tired.”
He saw her brows knit in their familiar little fairy wrinkles as she anxiously scanned his face. Indeed, he was very weary, and his eyes and cheeks showed it.
“There has been a lot not only to do, but to feel of late,” he said.
She put out a timid hand and touched his sleeve.
“You mustn’t do and feel too much, or you’ll break down.”
“Why should I, if you haven’t?” he asked with a faint smile.
“I think it cowardly to break down when one ought to be strong,” she said.
“Are you afraid of my being a coward, Stella?”
She uttered a little cry, and her touch became a grasp.