But he feared lest the result of that might be to make Ida hide away from him once more, and to this loss he could not reconcile himself.

Yet he was further than ever from the thought of giving himself wholly to her, for the intenser his feeling grew, the more clearly he recognised its character.

This was not love he suffered from, but mere desire.

To let it have its way would be to degrade Ida.

Love might or might not follow, and how could he place her at the mercy of such a chance as that?
Her faith and trust in him were absolute; could he take advantage of it for his own ends?
And, for all these fine arguments, Waymark saw with perfect clearness how the matter would end.