She feared that he was come to her with an offer of marriage out of a sense of duty, as an amende, to correct the false position into which, for his sake, she had placed herself.

And he himself by his blundering phrase had given colour to that hideous fear of hers.
He considered a moment whilst he stood there meeting her defiant glance.
Never had she been more desirable in his eyes; and hopeless as his love for her had always seemed, never had it been in such danger of hopelessness as at this present moment, unless he proceeded here with the utmost care.

And so Ned Tremayne became subtle for the first time in his honest, straightforward, soldierly life.

"No," he answered boldly, "I do not intend it." "I am glad that you spare me that," she answered him, yet her pallor seemed to deepen under his glance.
"And that," he continued, "is the source of all my anger, against you, against myself, and against circumstances.

If I had deemed myself remotely worthy of you," he continued, "I should have asked you weeks ago to be my wife.