He was distrustful of himself, distrustful of the man who had made all this trouble, and distrustful of her, though he would not acknowledge it.
Every baser instinct in him drove him to the meeting he declined.

To see the man--to force from him the truth, seemed the only rational thing to do.

But the final words of his wife's letter stood in his way.

She had advised patience.

If patience would clear the situation and bring him the result he so ardently desired, then he would be patient--that is, for a day; he did not promise to wait longer.