And in that moment was born within him a
desire to understand the Bible and know how believing scholars explained
everything.

But as he went from the room and on his way, he felt that to some extent
he had a solution of his trouble. He was to be under the personal
conduct of the Presence of God wherever he went, whatever he did! This
was to make life less complex, and in some mysterious way the power of
the Christ with him was to be made manifest to others. Surely he might
trust this in the case of Gila, and feel sure that he would be guided
aright; that she would come to see for herself how there was with him
always this guiding power. Surely she would come to know it and love it
also.

Gila met him with fluttering delight, poutingly reproaching him for not
writing oftener, calling him to order for looking solemn, adoringly
pretty herself in a little frilly pink frock that gave her the look of
a pale anemone, wind-blown and sweet and wild.

She talked a good deal about the "dandy times" she had had and the
"perfectly peachy" men and girls she had met; flattered him by saying
she had seen none handsomer or more distinguished than he was. She
accepted as a matter of course the lover-like attitude he adopted, let
him tell her of his love as long as he was not too solemn about it,
teased and played with him, charmed him with every art she knew, dancing
from one mood to another like a sprite, winding her gossamer chains
about him more and more, until, when he went from her again, he was
fairly intoxicated with her beauty.

He had lulled his anxiety with the thought that he must wait and be
patient until Gila saw. But more and more was it growing hard to
approach her about the things that were of most moment to him. Sometimes
when he was wearily trying to find a way back from the froth of her
conversation to the real things he hoped she would enjoy with him some
day, she would call him an old crab, and summon to her side other
willing youths to stimulate his jealousy; youths of sometimes unsavory
reputation whose presence gave him deep anxiety for her. Then he would
tell himself he must be more patient, that she was young and must learn
to understand little by little.

Gila developed a great interest in Courtland's future, his plans for a
career, of which she chattered to him much and often, suggesting ways in
which her father might perhaps help him into a position of prominence
and power in the political world. But