Love of woman is strongly distinguished from pure egoism when it has got a wound: for it will not go into a corner complaining, it will fight its duel on the field or die.

Did the young lady know his origin, and scorn him?
He resolved to stay and teach her that the presumption she had imputed to him was her own mistake.

And from this Evan graduated naturally enough the finer stages of self-deception downward.
A lover must have his delusions, just as a man must have a skin.

But here was another singular change in Evan.

After his ale-prompted speech in Fallow field, he was nerved to face the truth in the eyes of all save Rose.