--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Sensing reprieve, grasping for it with…" description: "\"“Sensing reprieve, grasping for it with eager disbelief, she lifted her lashes in confusion to see the same emotion reflected in his cobalt eyes. He be..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/213/catherine-anderson-308_quote_sensing-reprieve-grasping-for-it-with-ea_1633328.jpg" --- # Sensing reprieve, grasping for it with eager disbelief… ![“Sensing reprieve, grasping for it with eager disbelief, she lifted her lashes in confusion to see the same emotion reflected in his cobalt eyes. He began to tremble, as if the lance weighed a thousand pounds. And suddenly she knew that as much as he longed to murder her, a part of him couldn’t…” quote by Catherine Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/213/catherine-anderson-308_quote_sensing-reprieve-grasping-for-it-with-ea_1633328.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/213/catherine-anderson-308_quote_sensing-reprieve-grasping-for-it-with-ea_1633328.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/213/catherine-anderson-308_quote_sensing-reprieve-grasping-for-it-with-ea_1633328.jpg) > ““Sensing reprieve, grasping for it with eager disbelief, she lifted her lashes in confusion to see the same emotion reflected in his cobalt eyes. He began to tremble, as if the lance weighed a thousand pounds. And suddenly she knew that as much as he longed to murder her, a part of him couldn’t, wouldn’t throw the lance. It made no sense. She could see nothing but hatred written on his chiseled face. He had surely killed hundreds of times and would kill again. Slowly he lowered his arm and stared at her as if she had bested him in some way. Then, so quickly she couldn’t be sure she saw it, pain flashed across his face. “So you’re sweet?” His smile dripped ice. “We shall see, woman, we shall see.” He said “woman” as if he were spitting bile and slid his lance arrow to her chin. She had heard of women being disfigured by Indians and expected him to slash her as he outlined her mouth and the slope of her nose. Breathless fear brought moisture to her brow. Black spots danced, blurring her vision. She blinked and forced herself to focus on him. Laughter twinkled in his eyes. She realized that since he had decided not to kill her, he was, for some reason she couldn’t imagine, playing a hideous game, terrifying her to test her mettle. She caught hold of his lance and shoved it aside, lifting her head in defiance. Chuckling low in his chest, he leaned over his thigh, making a fist in her hair. His grip brought tears to her eyes. As he turned her face to study her, he said, “You have more courage than you have strength, Yellow Hair. It is not wise to fight when you cannot win.” Looking up at his carved features and the arrogant set of his mouth, she longed for the strength to jerk him off his horse. He wasn’t just taunting her, he was challenging her, mocking her. “You will yield. Look at me and know the face of your master. Remember it well.” Riding high on humiliation, Loretta forgot Amy, Aunt Rachel, everything. An image of her mother’s face flashed before her. Never, as long as she had life in her body, would she yield to him. She worked her parched mouth and spat. Nothing came out, but the message rang clear. “ Nei mah-heepicut! ” Releasing her, he struck her lightly on the arm. Wheeling his horse, he glanced toward the windows of the house and thumped his chest with a broad fist. “I claim her!”” [Catherine Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-anderson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A tense encounter where a heroine confronts a violent opponent, testing her courage and wit in a deadly game. **In simple terms:** Girl faces dangerous foe, uses bravery. Key Takeaway Stand firm against intimidation. Themes courage survival power dynamics Mood tense dark defiant Type dramatic thrilling When to use this quote - battlefield - personal confrontation - psychological warfare - heroic defiance Key Concepts Psychology of fear combat strategy Questions to Reflect On - What does true courage look like? - How do power imbalances affect conflict? A Different Perspective The antagonist's motives remain ambiguous. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Humiliation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humiliation/) ## Related quotes > [“She blinked and forced herself to focus on him. Laughter twinkled in his eyes. She realized that since he had decided not to kill…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-anderson/she-blinked-and-forced-herself-to-focus-on-him-laughter-twinkled-in/) [Catherine Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-anderson/) > [“As he turned her face to study her, he said, “You have more courage than you have strength, Yellow Hair. It is not wise…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-anderson/as-he-turned-her-face-to-study-her-he-said-you-have-more-courage-than/) [Catherine Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-anderson/) > [“Loretta closed her eyes and braced herself. Whatever it was the other Indian was saying, he was clearly arguing in her behalf. There hovered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-anderson/loretta-closed-her-eyes-and-braced-herself-whatever-it-was-the-other/) [Catherine Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-anderson/) > [“I think it's incomparably sweet when someone writes something for you.. even if it doesn't rhyme or even if it isn't very amorous.. even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sanhita-baruah/i-think-it-s-incomparably-sweet-when-someone-writes-something-for-you/) [Sanhita Baruah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sanhita-baruah/) > [“A flush slid up her neck. In nothing but a nightgown, she would have been embarrassed in front of any man; with Hunter her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-anderson/a-flush-slid-up-her-neck-in-nothing-but-a-nightgown-she-would-have/) [Catherine Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-anderson/) > [“Loretta’s shoulders slumped in defeat. With numb hands she lowered the rifle to the dirt. A nasty grin twisted Hunter’s mouth. “So it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-anderson/loretta-s-shoulders-slumped-in-defeat-with-numb-hands-she-lowered-the/) [Catherine Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-anderson/) > [You're allowed to make things for women on television, and there's not like... you don't have to go through the humiliation of having made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/callie-khouri/you-re-allowed-to-make-things-for-women-on-television-and-there-s-not/) [Callie Khouri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/callie-khouri/) > [“My habitual mood of humiliation, self-doubt, forlorn depression, fell damp on the embers of my decaying ire.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-bronte/my-habitual-mood-of-humiliation-self-doubt-forlorn-depression-fell/) [Charlotte Brontë](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-bronte/) > [To be wise was to be above joy and sorrow, fear and pity, ambition and humiliation. It was to hate nothing and to love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ende/to-be-wise-was-to-be-above-joy-and-sorrow-fear-and-pity-ambition-and/) [Michael Ende](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ende/) > [For the sacrificed, in the hour of sacrifice, only one thing counts: faith-alone among enemies and skeptics. Faith, in spite of the humiliation which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dag-hammarskj-ld/for-the-sacrificed-in-the-hour-of-sacrifice-only-one-thing-counts/) [Dag Hammarskjold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dag-hammarskj-ld/) > [Suddenly the full long wail of a ship's horn surged through the open window and flooded the dim room - a cry of boundless,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yukio-mishima/suddenly-the-full-long-wail-of-a-ship-s-horn-surged-through-the-open/) [Yukio Mishima](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yukio-mishima/) > [We always have visions, before a thing is made real. When we realize that although the vision is real, it is not real in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/we-always-have-visions-before-a-thing-is-made-real-when-we-realize/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [“Hmmm,” you muse out loud. Your voice is deep and carnal, a sound which sends new surges of desire rushing to my sex. “These…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felicity-brandon/hmmm-you-muse-out-loud-your-voice-is-deep-and-carnal-a-sound-which/) [Felicity Brandon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felicity-brandon/) > [Most readers, then and now, have at some time experienced the humiliation of being told that their occupation is reprehensible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alberto-manguel/most-readers-then-and-now-have-at-some-time-experienced-the/) [Alberto Manguel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alberto-manguel/) > [ I guarantee you \[Hillary Clinton\] is smoking in humiliation over the idea that she needs to heal and that \[Donald\] Trump's the guy to… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/i-guarantee-you-hillary-clinton-is-smoking-in-humiliation-over-the/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) ## More by Catherine Anderson > [“You’d better keep her tied.” “Why?” A yawn stretched Hunter’s dark face. “Because she’s looking skittish.” “She’s naked.” Sheathing his knife, Hunter flopped on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-anderson/you-d-better-keep-her-tied-why-a-yawn-stretched-hunter-s-dark-face/) [Catherine Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-anderson/) > [“I have such great love for you, little one. Such great love.” “I love you just as much, Hunter. I thought I’d die when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-anderson/i-have-such-great-love-for-you-little-one-such-great-love-i-love-you/) [Catherine Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-anderson/) > [“Blue Eyes, you will say yes to me?” “Tonight? Now?” “Yes, tonight. Before this time between us passes.” When she sat, silent, watching, Hunter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-anderson/blue-eyes-you-will-say-yes-to-me-tonight-now-yes-tonight-before-this/) [Catherine Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-anderson/) > [“My heart is filled with great love for you,” he whispered. Tears sprang to Loretta’s eyes. She couldn’t name the emotion that caused them,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-anderson/my-heart-is-filled-with-great-love-for-you-he-whispered-tears-sprang/) [Catherine Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-anderson/) > [“I’m in no need of matrimony, Father. I still have my honor.” Hunter jerked her to his side and, in an ominously even voice,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-anderson/i-m-in-no-need-of-matrimony-father-i-still-have-my-honor-hunter/) [Catherine Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-anderson/) > [“You know, I should start thinking on names. I have to be over two months gone. A name is important. Especially for this baby.”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-anderson/you-know-i-should-start-thinking-on-names-i-have-to-be-over-two/) [Catherine Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-anderson/) > [“As he tightened his embrace around her, he knew he'd made the right choice. He held the whole world in his arms.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-anderson/as-he-tightened-his-embrace-around-her-he-knew-he-d-made-the-right/) [Catherine Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-anderson/) > [“You will tell your sons and daughters about me, yes?” Hunter wished he could weep, but the tears were dammed behind his lids, aching…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-anderson/you-will-tell-your-sons-and-daughters-about-me-yes-hunter-wished-he/) [Catherine Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-anderson/) > [“Speaking of pits in plum pudding, do you remember your sister’s first attempt? Your grandfather broke off his only remaining tooth trying to eat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-anderson/speaking-of-pits-in-plum-pudding-do-you-remember-your-sister-s-first/) [Catherine Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-anderson/) > [“You ever seen what they do to a captive white woman? If you ask me, them Injuns got exactly what was coming to ’em.”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-anderson/you-ever-seen-what-they-do-to-a-captive-white-woman-if-you-ask-me/) [Catherine Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-anderson/) > [“I would like to make arrangements with you--to take her as my wife. Not right away, of course. When she grows old enough.” The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-anderson/i-would-like-to-make-arrangements-with-you-to-take-her-as-my-wife-not/) [Catherine Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-anderson/) > [“ Toquet , it is well, little one. It is finished, eh?” She panted, tossing her head. “It h-hurts!” “It will pass,” he assured…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-anderson/toquet-it-is-well-little-one-it-is-finished-eh-she-panted-tossing-her/) [Catherine Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-anderson/) > [“Make a story for me, yes? About my Loh-rhett-ah when she was small like Blackbird.” She stared at him, clearly unable to believe he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-anderson/make-a-story-for-me-yes-about-my-loh-rhett-ah-when-she-was-small-like/) [Catherine Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-anderson/) > [“He ran his palm up the curve of her back and then removed his arm from around her, amused at how swiftly she rolled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-anderson/he-ran-his-palm-up-the-curve-of-her-back-and-then-removed-his-arm/) [Catherine Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-anderson/) > [“Another uplifting development was Amy’s recovery from her ordeal. Loretta could scarcely believe how quickly the child was regaining her former gaiety, and she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-anderson/another-uplifting-development-was-amy-s-recovery-from-her-ordeal/) [Catherine Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-anderson/) [Explore all 699 Catherine Anderson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-anderson/) ## More Humiliation quotes > [ I guarantee you \[Hillary Clinton\] is smoking in humiliation over the idea that she needs to heal and that \[Donald\] Trump's the guy to… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/i-guarantee-you-hillary-clinton-is-smoking-in-humiliation-over-the/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [Most readers, then and now, have at some time experienced the humiliation of being told that their occupation is reprehensible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alberto-manguel/most-readers-then-and-now-have-at-some-time-experienced-the/) [Alberto Manguel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alberto-manguel/) > [“Hmmm,” you muse out loud. Your voice is deep and carnal, a sound which sends new surges of desire rushing to my sex. “These…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felicity-brandon/hmmm-you-muse-out-loud-your-voice-is-deep-and-carnal-a-sound-which/) [Felicity Brandon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felicity-brandon/) > [We always have visions, before a thing is made real. When we realize that although the vision is real, it is not real in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/we-always-have-visions-before-a-thing-is-made-real-when-we-realize/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [Suddenly the full long wail of a ship's horn surged through the open window and flooded the dim room - a cry of boundless,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yukio-mishima/suddenly-the-full-long-wail-of-a-ship-s-horn-surged-through-the-open/) [Yukio Mishima](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yukio-mishima/) > [For the sacrificed, in the hour of sacrifice, only one thing counts: faith-alone among enemies and skeptics. Faith, in spite of the humiliation which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dag-hammarskj-ld/for-the-sacrificed-in-the-hour-of-sacrifice-only-one-thing-counts/) [Dag Hammarskjold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dag-hammarskj-ld/) > [To be wise was to be above joy and sorrow, fear and pity, ambition and humiliation. It was to hate nothing and to love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ende/to-be-wise-was-to-be-above-joy-and-sorrow-fear-and-pity-ambition-and/) [Michael Ende](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ende/) > [“My habitual mood of humiliation, self-doubt, forlorn depression, fell damp on the embers of my decaying ire.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-bronte/my-habitual-mood-of-humiliation-self-doubt-forlorn-depression-fell/) [Charlotte Brontë](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-bronte/) > [You're allowed to make things for women on television, and there's not like... you don't have to go through the humiliation of having made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/callie-khouri/you-re-allowed-to-make-things-for-women-on-television-and-there-s-not/) [Callie Khouri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/callie-khouri/) > [“In comparison to what I've suffered from myself, the humiliation and suffering inflicted on me by others vanishes into insignificance.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/in-comparison-to-what-i-ve-suffered-from-myself-the-humiliation-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I have been subjected to constant harassment and humiliation by Mr. Abad Ponda with his sexist remarks and insulting comments.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rhea-pillai/i-have-been-subjected-to-constant-harassment-and-humiliation-by-mr/) [Rhea Pillai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rhea-pillai/) > [Food for her is not food, it is terror, dignity, gratitude, vengeance, joyfulness, humiliation, religion, history, and, of course, love. As if the fruit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/food-for-her-is-not-food-it-is-terror-dignity-gratitude-vengeance/) [Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/) > [Every acknowledgment of gratitude is a circumstance of humiliation; and some are found to submit to frequent mortifications of this kind, proclaiming what obligations…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-goldsmith/every-acknowledgment-of-gratitude-is-a-circumstance-of-humiliation/) [Oliver Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-goldsmith/) > [It is cruel for you to leave your daughter, so full of hopeand resolve, to suffer the humiliations of disfranchisement she already feels so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-b-anthony/it-is-cruel-for-you-to-leave-your-daughter-so-full-of-hopeand-resolve/) [Susan B. Anthony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-b-anthony/) > [Our Lord's descent from the holy heights of the Mount of Transfiguration was more than a physical return from greater to lesser altitudes; it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-e-talmage/our-lord-s-descent-from-the-holy-heights-of-the-mount-of/) [James E. Talmage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-e-talmage/) [Browse all 651 Humiliation quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humiliation/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Sensing reprieve, grasping for it with eager disbelief, she lifted her lashes in confusion to see the same emotion reflected in his cobalt eyes. He began to tremble, as if the lance weighed a thousand pounds. And suddenly she knew that as much as he longed to murder her, a part of him couldn’t, wouldn’t throw the lance. It made no sense. She could see nothing but hatred written on his chiseled face. He had surely killed hundreds of times and would kill again. Slowly he lowered his arm and stared at her as if she had bested him in some way. Then, so quickly she couldn’t be sure she saw it, pain flashed across his face. “So you’re sweet?” His smile dripped ice. “We shall see, woman, we shall see.” He said “woman” as if he were spitting bile and slid his lance arrow to her chin. She had heard of women being disfigured by Indians and expected him to slash her as he outlined her mouth and the slope of her nose. Breathless fear brought moisture to her brow. Black spots danced, blurring her vision. She blinked and forced herself to focus on him. Laughter twinkled in his eyes. She realized that since he had decided not to kill her, he was, for some reason she couldn’t imagine, playing a hideous game, terrifying her to test her mettle. She caught hold of his lance and shoved it aside, lifting her head in defiance. Chuckling low in his chest, he leaned over his thigh, making a fist in her hair. His grip brought tears to her eyes. As he turned her face to study her, he said, “You have more courage than you have strength, Yellow Hair. It is not wise to fight when you cannot win.” Looking up at his carved features and the arrogant set of his mouth, she longed for the strength to jerk him off his horse. He wasn’t just taunting her, he was challenging her, mocking her. “You will yield. Look at me and know the face of your master. Remember it well.” Riding high on humiliation, Loretta forgot Amy, Aunt Rachel, everything. An image of her mother’s face flashed before her. Never, as long as she had life in her body, would she yield to him. She worked her parched mouth and spat. Nothing came out, but the message rang clear. “ Nei mah-heepicut! ” Releasing her, he struck her lightly on the arm. Wheeling his horse, he glanced toward the windows of the house and thumped his chest with a broad fist. “I claim her!”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Catherine Anderson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-anderson/sensing-reprieve-grasping-for-it-with-eager-disbelief-she-lifted-her/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Humiliation" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-anderson/sensing-reprieve-grasping-for-it-with-eager-disbelief-she-lifted-her/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/213/catherine-anderson-308_quote_sensing-reprieve-grasping-for-it-with-ea_1633328.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/213/catherine-anderson-308_quote_sensing-reprieve-grasping-for-it-with-ea_1633328.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/213/catherine-anderson-308_quote_sensing-reprieve-grasping-for-it-with-ea_1633328.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Sensing reprieve, grasping for it with eager disbelief, she lifted her lashes in confusion to see the same…” — Catherine Anderson", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Catherine Anderson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-anderson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Sensing reprieve, grasping for it with...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-anderson/sensing-reprieve-grasping-for-it-with-eager-disbelief-she-lifted-her/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-anderson/sensing-reprieve-grasping-for-it-with-eager-disbelief-she-lifted-her/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```