It might be that Minnie had no inkling of his intentions; she was so modest, so unlike the everyday girls who tittered and ogled with every marriageable man; on that very account he had made her his ideal.
And Mrs.Clover would help him as a mother best knows how.

The shock of learning that Mrs.Clover would do no such thing utterly confused his mind.

He still longed for Minnie, yet seemed of a sudden hopelessly remote from her.

He could not determine whether he had given her up or not; he did not know whether to bow before Mrs.Clover or to protest and persevere.

He liked Mrs.Clover far too much to be angry with her; he respected Minnie far too much to annoy her by an unwelcome courtship; he wished, in fact, that he had not made a fool of himself that evening, and wanted things to be as they were before.
In the meantime he occupied himself in looking out for a new engagement Plenty were to be had, but he aimed at something better than had satisfied him hitherto.