But she had not done so. On the contrary, she
had made him both positive and negative statements of her love. What
more could he ask?
He breathed again. The longer he thought of it the better his situation
seemed to grow. He had done all that an honorable man could think of. He
had been chivalrous to a quixotic degree. If they had not accepted his
generous proposals, then so much the worse for them. They--Guion and
Davenant--were pursuing obstructionist tactics, so as to put him in a
place where he could do nothing but retreat. Very well; he would show
them! There were points beyond which even chivalry could not go; and if
they found themselves tangled in their own barbed wire they themselves
would be to blame.
So, as the minute of foolish, jealous terror passed away, he began to
enjoy the mellow peace of the old house. It was the first thing he had
enjoyed since landing in America. His pleasure was largely in the
anticipation of soon leaving that country with all the honors and Olivia
Guion besides.
It was a gratification to the Ashley spirit, too, to note how promptly
the right thing had paid. It was really something to take to heart. The
moral to be drawn from his experiences at the heights of Dargal had been
illustrated over and over again in his career; and this was once more.
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