He had it in his heart to wish that they could possess, in some small measure, her goodness and glory.

And not for the world could he hurt them because of their outreaching.

He was not flattered by it; he even felt a slight shame at his lowliness that permitted it.

He knew, did he belong in Ruth's class, that there would be no overtures from these girls; and with each glance of theirs he felt the fingers of his own class clutching at him to hold him down.
He left his seat before the curtain went down on the last act, intent on seeing Her as she passed out.

There were always numbers of men who stood on the sidewalk outside, and he could pull his cap down over his eyes and screen himself behind some one's shoulder so that she should not see him.
He emerged from the theatre with the first of the crowd; but scarcely had he taken his position on the edge of the sidewalk when the two girls appeared.