"Lana! Do you please observe that tall captain with the red facings! And the other staff-major yonder in blue and buff! Is he not beautiful as Apollo?
And I make no doubt that this agreeable young Ensign of ours will presently make them known to us for our proper diversion." Somehow, now, with the prospect of all these officers besetting her with their civilities and polite assiduities, nothing of the old and silly jealousy seemed to stir within me.

Perhaps because, although for days I had not seen her, I knew her better.

And also I had begun to know myself.

Even though she loved not me in the manner I desired, yet the lesser, cruder, and more unworthy solicitude which at first seemed to have possessed me in her regard was now gone.

And if inexperience and youth had inspired me with unworthy jealousies I do not know; but I do know that I now felt myself older--years older than when first I knew Lois; and perhaps my being so honestly in love with her wrought the respectable change in me.