But put him in her society for an hour, with every opportunity of pressing his suit, and the veriest lambkin could not be more harmless.

He has not yet tasted blood, though he will often smack his lips and talk as if he had.
It is generally chance that makes him fall in love the first time.

He is thrown together with his fate--tall or short, dark or fair, it makes no difference--in some country house or on some journey.

For a long time her society only amuses him and helps to pass the hours, for Boreas is easily bored and finds time a terrible adversary.

Gradually he understands that she is a necessity to his comfort, and there is nothing he will not do to secure her on every possible opportunity for himself.
Then perhaps he allows to himself that he really does care a little, and he loses some of his incrustation of vanity.