Her eyes had filled with tears as he stood before her with the gleam of martyrdom in his eyes, and for an instant she felt a woman's impulse--that was a factor which George Holland had taken into consideration before he had spoken--to give both her hands to him and to promise to stand by his side in his hour of trial.

But she thought of Ruth and restrained herself.

Before he had reached the door she thought of him as the man from whom she had managed to escape before it was too late.
She wondered if any of those young women of the church, who had gone back to their butterfly garments on hearing that Mr.Holland had asked her to marry him, would hunt out the sober garments which they had discarded and wear them when they would hear that she was not going to marry Mr.Holland.
She rather thought that they would get new dresses and hats of the right degree of sobriety.

Fashions change so quickly between February and May.
And then there was the question of sleeves! Anyhow they would, she felt, regard themselves as having another chance.
That was how they would put it.
Only for an instant did she become thoughtful.

Then she sprang to her feet from the sofa on which she had thrown herself when her tears were threatening, and cried: "Let them have him--let them all have him--all--all!" That would have been absurd..