He saw as in a vision the purity, fidelity, and tender yearning of a true woman's nature shining through a girl's eyes.

In that moment he wished as never before to be manly and worthy.

He seemed all at once to understand his mother, his sister, all women better, and with a quick impulsive gesture which he would not have understood a month before, he bent his head over astonished Polly's hand, kissed it reverently, then opened the door and went to his room without a word..