He could be brave, bold, insolent with her, in
an impersonal way; but personally he could not have ventured the
slightest familiarity, now that he really appreciated "what a
refined, delicate woman is."
But the easiest impression for a woman to create upon a man--or a
man upon a woman--is the impression of being in love. We are so
conscious of our own merits, we are so eager to have them
appreciated, that we will exaggerate or misinterpret any word or
look, especially from a person of the opposite sex, into a tribute
to them. When Craig pleaded for Grant and Margaret, moved by his
eloquent sincerity, dropped her eyes and colored in shame for her
plans about him, in such black contrast with his frank generosity,
he noted her change of expression, and instantly his vanity
flashed into his mind: "Can it be that she loves me?"
The more he reflected upon it the clearer it became to him that
she did. Yes, here was being repeated the old story of the
attraction of extremes. "She isn't so refined that appreciation of
real manhood has been refined out of her," thought he. "And why
shouldn't she love me? What does all this nonsense of family and
breeding amount to, anyway?" His mind was in great confusion.
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