The sense of self-approval was so strong in him that as he traveled
homeward he felt the great moment to have come. He must keep his word;
he must be a gentleman. He was flattered by the glimpse he had got of
Elsie Darling's heart; and yet the fact that she might have come to love
him acted on him as an incentive, rather than the contrary, to carrying
out his plans. She would see him in a finer, nobler light. As long as
she lived, and even when she had married some one else, she would keep
her dream of him as the magnificently romantic chap who could love a
village maid and be true to her.

And he did love a village maid! He knew that now by certain infallible
signs. He knew it by the very meagerness of his regret in giving up
Elsie Darling and all that the winning of her would have implied. He
knew it by the way he thrilled when he thought of Rosie's body trembling
against his, as it had trembled that afternoon. He knew it by the wild
tingle of his nerves when she shuddered at the name of Thor. That is, he
thought she had shuddered; but of course she hadn't! What had she to
shudder at? He was brought up against that question every time the
unreasoning fear of Thor possessed him. He knew the fear to be
unreasoning. However possible it might be to suspect Rosie--and a man
was always ready to suspect the woman he loved!--to suspect Thor was
absurd. If in the matter of Rosie's dowry Thor was "acting queerly,"
there was an explanation of that queerness which would do him credit. Of
that no one who knew Thor could have any question and at the same time
keep his common sense. Claude couldn't deny that he was jealous; but
when he came to analyze his passion in that respect he found it nothing
but a dread lest his own supineness might allow Rosie to be snatched
away from him. He had been dilly-dallying over what he should have
clinched. He had been afraid of the sacrifice he would be compelled to
make, without realizing, as he realized to-night, that Rosie would be
worth it. No later than to-morrow he would buy a license and a
wedding-ring, and, if possible, marry her in the evening. Before the
fact accomplished difficulties--and God knew there were a lot of
them!--would smooth themselves away.

As he left the tram-car at the village terminus he was too excited to go
home at once, so he passed his own gate and went on toward Thor's. It
was not yet late. He could hear Thor's voice reading aloud as the maid
admitted him, and c