It came to him that he was being put to a test.

The revulsion of feeling made him brutal.

Striding forward, he seized her horse by the rein.
"Get off!" he harshly commanded.
Colina had no thought but to obey.
He tied the rein to a limb and, turning back, seized her roughly by the wrists.
"What kind of a game is this ?" he demanded.
Colina, breathless, terrified, delighted, laughed shakily.
He dropped her as suddenly as he had seized her, and walked away to the edge of the bank and sat down, staring sightlessly across the river and striving to still the tumult of his blood.

He was frightened by his own passion.

He had wished to hurt her.
Colina went to him and humbly touched his arm.
"I'm sorry," she whispered.
He looked at her grimly.
"You should not try such tricks," he said.