Explore "The Will and the Way" by Bernard Capes on Textopian. Read with annotations and highlights.
Le Strang was lying from day to day in a sort of waiting exultation, now dreamy, now restless, but never in his heart doubting that the condition which he had imposed upon his love would come to be fulfilled. There was no self-complacent sentiment, but an emotional intuition, subject to his strong determination to take no unfair advantage of circumstances in this bid for a beautiful prize. At the same time if there was uprightness in his attitude, there was pride in proportion. He was no man to play the love-sick suitor--to sigh "a woeful ballad made to his mistress's eyebrow,"--to let his chosen believe that she could "have her lion roll in a silken net and fawn at a victor's feet." He was of the masterful order of suitor, compelling, protective; and a woman who desired him must be content to play the womanly part of submission.
There was a lovely kindness in his nature to compensate; and also a lovely reason--but that was of less importance. Reason is the last requisite for philandering; though it does very well for later on when the knot is tied.