His judgment was now in the ascendant,
and like most men, while under the cool and firm control of the rational
part of his nature, he was incapable of recalling with any sympathy
the times when he had followed the lead of those qualities which rise
superior to reason.
"I don't care how poor he is," said Molly passionately, for her rational
part was plainly not in the ascendant. "Nobody ever thought about his
being so poor until your uncle left me all that horrid money. He was
honestly born and I wasn't, yet he didn't care. He was big and splendid
and I was little and mean, that was the matter!"
"By George, you're in love with him!" he exclaimed, and beneath the
coldness of his manner, his heart suffered an incomprehensible pang.
Undoubtedly he had permitted himself to drift into a feeling for
Molly, which, had he been wise, he would have strangled speedily in the
beginning. The obstacles which had appeared to make for his safety, had,
he realized now, merely afforded shelter to the flame until it had grown
strong enough to overleap them. While he stood there, with his angry
gaze on her flushing and paling beauty, he had the helpless sensation of
a man who returns at sunrise to find a forest fire raging where he had
left a few sticks smouldering at midnight.
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