---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: But she laughed and looked at him with…"
description: "\"“But she laughed and looked at him with eyes that at once gave him courage to wait and made it torture to wait.”\" — Kate Chopin"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e64/kate-chopin-2624_courage_but-she-laughed-and-looked-at-him-with-e_2314076.jpg"
---

#  But she laughed and looked at him with eyes that at once…

![“But she laughed and looked at him with eyes that at once gave him courage to wait and made it torture to wait.” quote by Kate Chopin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e64/kate-chopin-2624_courage_but-she-laughed-and-looked-at-him-with-e_2314076.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e64/kate-chopin-2624_courage_but-she-laughed-and-looked-at-him-with-e_2314076.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e64/kate-chopin-2624_courage_but-she-laughed-and-looked-at-him-with-e_2314076.jpg)

> ““But she laughed and looked at him with eyes that at once gave him courage to wait and made it torture to wait.””

[Kate Chopin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-chopin/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Describes a woman's mixed emotions of courage and torment while waiting, highlighting love's paradoxical power.

**In simple terms:** Waiting can be both empowering and painful.

Key Takeaway

Balance patience with emotional awareness.

Themes

love patience emotion paradox

Mood

melancholic hopeful

Type

literary emotional

When to use this quote

- courtship
- long‑distance relationships
- career advancement
- personal growth
- creative projects

Key Concepts

psychology romantic literature human behavior

Questions to Reflect On

- What fuels courage while waiting?
- How can we ease the pain of anticipation?

A Different Perspective

Waiting may lead to missed opportunities.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Courage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/courage/) [Courage Wait](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/courage-wait-1916597/) [Gave Courage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gave-courage-379299/) [Laughed Looked](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/laughed-looked-2228451/) [Looked Eyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/looked-eyes/) [Torture Wait](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/torture-wait-5507345/)

## Related quotes

> [“She looked at him, her eyes brimming with laughter again. Joel sat gazing at her, wondering how much attention she was drawing from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-balogh/she-looked-at-him-her-eyes-brimming-with-laughter-again-joel-sat/)

[Mary Balogh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-balogh/)

> [...I discovered that I could take a risk and survive. I could march in Philadelphia. I could go out in the street and be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-shelley/i-discovered-that-i-could-take-a-risk-and-survive-i-could-march-in/)

[Martha Shelley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-shelley/)

> [Patience is not just the avoidance of desperation, but the courage to wait for the best in the midst of serious desperations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-mark/patience-is-not-just-the-avoidance-of-desperation-but-the-courage-to/)

[Terry Mark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-mark/)

> [“For a moment there he hadn’t looked dark, forbidding, and cold, but dark, forbidding, and … warm. In fact, when he’d laughed he’d looked … well … kind of hot.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-marie-moning/for-a-moment-there-he-hadn-t-looked-dark-forbidding-and-cold-but-dark/)

[Karen Marie Moning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-marie-moning/)

> [If you saw what I looked like in high school you probably would've laughed. I looked like I should have been in middle school.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddy-alvarez/if-you-saw-what-i-looked-like-in-high-school-you-probably-would-ve/)

[Eddy Alvarez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddy-alvarez/)

> [“I'm never going to get tired of finding you looking at me that way. Like you have to have me right now.” She laughed,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-shalvis/i-m-never-going-to-get-tired-of-finding-you-looking-at-me-that-way/)

[Jill Shalvis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-shalvis/)

> [“Bravehearted Musings It takes courage to wait for a God-scripted love story…”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wambui-ngabura/bravehearted-musings-it-takes-courage-to-wait-for-a-god-scripted-love/)

[Wambui Ngabura](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wambui-ngabura/)

> [“It takes courage to wait for a God-scripted love story…”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-wambui-ngabura/it-takes-courage-to-wait-for-a-god-scripted-love-story/)

[Carol Wambui Ngabura](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-wambui-ngabura/)

> [You have to have the courage to wait, to say no, ... And thats difficult. This job is very uncertain, and its frightening.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juliette-binoche/you-have-to-have-the-courage-to-wait-to-say-no-and-thats-difficult/)

[Juliette Binoche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juliette-binoche/)

> [“I want that," he said fiercely. "What?" "For you to be around." Her breath caught. A tenuous hope took fire in her chest. "Really?"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-ward/i-want-that-he-said-fiercely-what-for-you-to-be-around-her-breath/)

[J.R. Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-ward/)

> [“Love the LORD, all you his saints!         The LORD preserves the faithful         but abundantly repays the one who acts in pride.     24 Be strong,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/love-the-lord-all-you-his-saints-the-lord-preserves-the-faithful-but-2/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“She laughed again, and she looked at me. Just for a moment. But she looked, she saw. She wasn't looking at me to see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ursula-k-le-guin/she-laughed-again-and-she-looked-at-me-just-for-a-moment-but-she/)

[Ursula K. Le Guin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ursula-k-le-guin/)

> [“Have faith and patience, Dr. Thomas. Time works miracles. We must have the courage to wait for them.” They”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-g-riddle/have-faith-and-patience-dr-thomas-time-works-miracles-we-must-have/)

[A.G. Riddle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-g-riddle/)

> [“I didn't tell you this because I'm sure you would've changed your mind about the dress." "What?" I frowned. "Does it make my butt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-l-armentrout/i-didn-t-tell-you-this-because-i-m-sure-you-would-ve-changed-your/)

[Jennifer L. Armentrout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-l-armentrout/)

> [“for the LORD;          i be strong, and let your heart take courage;         wait for the LORD!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/for-the-lord-i-be-strong-and-let-your-heart-take-courage-wait-for-the/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

## More by Kate Chopin

> [“If ever a fusion of two human beings into one has been accomplished on this sphere it was surely their union.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-chopin/if-ever-a-fusion-of-two-human-beings-into-one-has-been-accomplished/)

[Kate Chopin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-chopin/)

> [She wanted something to happen - something, anything: she did not know what.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-chopin/she-wanted-something-to-happen-something-anything-she-did-not-know/)

[Kate Chopin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-chopin/)

> [“His manner invited easy confidence. The preliminary stage of becoming acquainted was one which he always endeavored to ignore when a pretty and engaging…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-chopin/his-manner-invited-easy-confidence-the-preliminary-stage-of-becoming/)

[Kate Chopin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-chopin/)

> [“The trouble is," sighed the Doctor, grasping her meaning intuitively, "that youth is given up to illusions. It seems to be a provision of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-chopin/the-trouble-is-sighed-the-doctor-grasping-her-meaning-intuitively/)

[Kate Chopin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-chopin/)

> [There were days when she was unhappy, she did not know why,--when it did not seem worthwhile to be glad or sorry, to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-chopin/there-were-days-when-she-was-unhappy-she-did-not-know-why-when-it-did/)

[Kate Chopin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-chopin/)

> [“The bird that would soar above the level plain of tradition and prejudice must have strong wings.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-chopin/the-bird-that-would-soar-above-the-level-plain-of-tradition-and/)

[Kate Chopin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-chopin/)

> [It is greater than the stars - that moving procession of human energy; greater than the palpitating earth and the things growing thereon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-chopin/it-is-greater-than-the-stars-that-moving-procession-of-human-energy/)

[Kate Chopin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-chopin/)

> [“Some people are born with a vital and responsive energy. It not only enables them to keep abreast of the times; it qualifies them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-chopin/some-people-are-born-with-a-vital-and-responsive-energy-it-not-only/)

[Kate Chopin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-chopin/)

> [“The stillest hour of the night had come, the hour before dawn, when the world seems to hold its breath. The moon hung low,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-chopin/the-stillest-hour-of-the-night-had-come-the-hour-before-dawn-when-the/)

[Kate Chopin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-chopin/)

> [The city atmosphere certainly has improved her. Some way she doesn't seem like the same woman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-chopin/the-city-atmosphere-certainly-has-improved-her-some-way-she-doesn-t/)

[Kate Chopin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-chopin/)

> [“Robert's going had some way taken the brightness, the color, the meaning out of everything. The conditions of her life were in no way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-chopin/robert-s-going-had-some-way-taken-the-brightness-the-color-the/)

[Kate Chopin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-chopin/)

> [“Spring days, and summer days, and all sorts of days that would be her own. She breathed a quick prayer that life might be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-chopin/spring-days-and-summer-days-and-all-sorts-of-days-that-would-be-her/)

[Kate Chopin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-chopin/)

> [“Do you suppose a woman knows why she loves? Does she select?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-chopin/do-you-suppose-a-woman-knows-why-she-loves-does-she-select/)

[Kate Chopin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-chopin/)

> [“I hope you won't completely forget me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-chopin/i-hope-you-won-t-completely-forget-me/)

[Kate Chopin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-chopin/)

> [I'm going to pull myself together for a while and think-try to determine what character of a woman I am; for, candidly, I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-chopin/i-m-going-to-pull-myself-together-for-a-while-and-think-try-to/)

[Kate Chopin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-chopin/)

[Explore all 157 Kate Chopin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-chopin/)

## More Courage quotes

> [The greatest act of courage is to be and to ownall of who you are—without apology, without excuses, without masks to cover the truth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debbie-ford/the-greatest-act-of-courage-is-to-be-and-to-ownall-of-who-you-are/)

[Debbie Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debbie-ford/)

> [“It takes tremendous courage, persistence, and perseverance to pursue your ultimate purpose.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debasish-mridha/it-takes-tremendous-courage-persistence-and-perseverance-to-pursue/)

[Debasish Mridha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debasish-mridha/)

> [“Yes, the issue was courage. It always had been, even as a kid. Things scared him. He couldn't help it. Noise scared him, dark…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-o-brien/yes-the-issue-was-courage-it-always-had-been-even-as-a-kid-things/)

[Tim O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-o-brien/)

> [Our young Marines of today are courageous, willing to make sacrifices, and are marvelous team players. I am confident our Corps, and indeed our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-t-conway/our-young-marines-of-today-are-courageous-willing-to-make-sacrifices/)

[James T. Conway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-t-conway/)

> [Courage: the most important of all the virtues because without courage, you can't practice any other virtue consistently](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/courage-the-most-important-of-all-the-virtues-because-without-courage/)

[Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/)

> [“Tranquillity is courage in repose. It is a statical manifestation of valor, as daring deeds are a dynamical. A truly brave man is ever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/inazo-nitobe/tranquillity-is-courage-in-repose-it-is-a-statical-manifestation-of/)

[Inazo Nitobe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/inazo-nitobe/)

> [When you heed the calling of your heart, you are following your purpose. Having purpose in your life gives you the courage to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rhonda-britten/when-you-heed-the-calling-of-your-heart-you-are-following-your/)

[Rhonda Britten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rhonda-britten/)

> [“Of all the train, none escaped except Wamba, who showed upon the occasion much more courage than those who pretended to greater sense.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-scott/of-all-the-train-none-escaped-except-wamba-who-showed-upon-the/)

[Walter Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-scott/)

> [The four Cs of making dreams come true: Curiosity, Courage, Consistency, Confidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-disney/the-four-cs-of-making-dreams-come-true-curiosity-courage-consistency/)

[Walt Disney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-disney/)

> [Certainly these are not easy times. But history does not contain very many easy times. Years from now, we will look back at this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-ingraham/certainly-these-are-not-easy-times-but-history-does-not-contain-very/)

[Laura Ingraham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-ingraham/)

> [Have the courage to go against the tide of current values that do not conform to the path of Jesus.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/have-the-courage-to-go-against-the-tide-of-current-values-that-do-not/)

[Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/)

> [“There is nothing purer, braver, or more beautiful than the try.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristen-armstrong/there-is-nothing-purer-braver-or-more-beautiful-than-the-try/)

[Kristen Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristen-armstrong/)

> [“One theory on cannibals, of course, is that they eat parts of their slain enemies to benefit from that person's greatest assets - their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-powell/one-theory-on-cannibals-of-course-is-that-they-eat-parts-of-their/)

[Julie Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-powell/)

> [It is a tragedy that we live in a world where physical courage is so common, and moral courage is so rare.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claude-monet/it-is-a-tragedy-that-we-live-in-a-world-where-physical-courage-is-so/)

[Claude Monet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claude-monet/)

> [I have pictures with Morimoto where I'm all embarrassed and he's so serious, it took me 30 minutes to get up the courage to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcela-valladolid/i-have-pictures-with-morimoto-where-i-m-all-embarrassed-and-he-s-so/)

[Marcela Valladolid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcela-valladolid/)

[Browse all 14,559 Courage quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/courage/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“But she laughed and looked at him with eyes that at once gave him courage to wait and made it torture to wait.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Kate Chopin"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-chopin/but-she-laughed-and-looked-at-him-with-eyes-that-at-once-gave-him/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Courage"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-chopin/but-she-laughed-and-looked-at-him-with-eyes-that-at-once-gave-him/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e64/kate-chopin-2624_courage_but-she-laughed-and-looked-at-him-with-e_2314076.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e64/kate-chopin-2624_courage_but-she-laughed-and-looked-at-him-with-e_2314076.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e64/kate-chopin-2624_courage_but-she-laughed-and-looked-at-him-with-e_2314076.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“But she laughed and looked at him with eyes that at once gave him courage to wait and made it torture to wait.” — Kate Chopin",
                "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": "Kate Chopin",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-chopin/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“But she laughed and looked at...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-chopin/but-she-laughed-and-looked-at-him-with-eyes-that-at-once-gave-him/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-chopin/but-she-laughed-and-looked-at-him-with-eyes-that-at-once-gave-him/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
