micro_jub

The very intamacy to which she admitted to him, her tenderness for him, confirmed him in this state of mind. No other woman had been tender to him... She was sweet ,tender and maternal, and in all this she was different from everyone else. He could abandon all thought of himself and his troubles while he was with her. It did not matter if he was a hopeless failure as long as she forbore to tell him so.
When she pressed his arm he held her more closely to reassure himself once more, and her kiss brought him peace and comfort.

I'm sorry, I liked it too much the first way too.