He saw most vividly the pathos of his case, but he did not break down under it; it helped him, rather, to proceed.
"It will be the test of Gemmell," he said, "how he bears this.

No man, I am very sure, was ever told that his dream could not come true more kindly and tenderly than you told it to him." He was in the middle of the next sentence (a fine one) before her distress stopped him.
"Tommy," she cried, "you don't understand.

That is not what I told him at all!" It was one of the few occasions on which the expression on the face of T.Sandys perceptibly changed.
"What did you tell him ?" he asked, almost sharply.
"I accepted him," she said guiltily, backing away from this alarming face.
"What!" "If you only knew how manly and gentle and humble he was," she cried quickly, as if something dire might happen if Tommy were not assured of this at once.
"You--said you would marry him, Elspeth ?" "Yes!" "And leave me ?" "Oh, oh!" She flung her arms around his neck.
"Yes, but that is what you are prepared to do!" said he, and he held her away from him and stared at her, as if he had never seen Elspeth before.

"Were you not afraid ?" he exclaimed, in amazement.
"I am not the least bit afraid," she answered.

"Oh Tommy, if you knew how manly----" And then she remembered that she had said that already.
"You did not even say that you would--consult me ?" "Oh, oh!" "Why didn't you, Elspeth ?" "I--I forgot!" she moaned.