But of late he had grown conscious of the
element of joy m Jane's character, had accustomed himself to look
for its manifestations--to observe the brightening of her eyes
which foretold a smile, the moving of her lips which suggested
inward laughter--and he knew that herein, as in many another
matter, a profound sympathy was transforming him. Sorrow such as he
had suffered will leave its mark upon the countenance long after
time has done its kindly healing, and in Sidney's case there was
more than the mere personal affliction tending to confirm his life
in sadness. With the ripening of his intellect, he saw only more and
more reason to condemn and execrate those social disorders of which
his own wretched experience was but an illustration. From the first,
his friendship with Snowdon had exercised upon him a subduing
influence; the old man was stern enough in his criticism of society,
but he did not belong to the same school as John Hewett, and the
sober authority of his character made appeal to much in Sidney that
had found no satisfaction amid the uproar of Clerkenwell Green. For
all that, Kirkwood could not become other than himself; his
vehemence was moderated, but he never affected to be at one with
Snowdon in that grave enthusiasm of far-off hope which at times made
the old man's speech that of an exhorting prophet.
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