his apostrophe to the father of the gods of pagandom signifying the amount of matter Warwick would have had reason to complain of in earnest.

By ricochet his military mind rebounded from his knowledge of himself to an ardent, faith in Mrs.Warwick's innocence; for, as there was no resemblance between them, there must, he deduced, be a difference in their capacity for enduring the perpetual company of a prig, a stick, a petrified poser.

Moreover, the novel act of advocacy, and the nature of the advocacy, had effect on him.

And then he recalled the scene in the winter beech-woods, and Diana's wild-deer eyes; her, perfect generosity to a traitor and fool.
How could he have doubted her?
Glimpses of the corrupting cause for it partly penetrated his density: a conqueror of ladies, in mid-career, doubts them all.

Of course he had meant no harm, nothing worse than some petty philandering with the loveliest woman of her time.