nearly noon
Could she harden her woman heart , steel her woman nerves , and make coarse her woman soul to withstand the things that she was forced to meet and know ? And if she could -- what then -- would she gain or lose thereby ? For the life of which she had dreamed , would she gain or lose ? It was nearly noon when a voice at her side said : `` You are ill ! '' It was a voice of authority but it was not at all unkind . Turning , she looked up into his face and stammered a feeble denial . No , she was not ill .