She thus proved to him that
he had spoken much too soon--that she was not ready for his ill-chosen,
passionate words, which had wounded instead of firing her heart as he
intended they should. He now berated his stupidity, but consoled himself
with the thought that love is always a little blind. He saw that she liked
Webb exceedingly, and enjoyed talking with him, but he now was no longer
disposed to be jealous. She ever seemed to be asking questions like an
intelligent child. "Why shouldn't she like Webb?" he thought. "He is one of
the best fellows in the world, and she has found out that he's a walking
encyclopedia of out-door lore."
Burt was not one to be depressed or to remain in the valley of humiliation
very long. After a week or two a slight feeling of superiority began to
assert itself. Amy was not only too young to understand him, but also,
perhaps, to appreciate him. He believed that he knew more than one pretty
girl to whom he would not have spoken in vain. Some day the scales would
fall from Amy's eyes. He could well afford to wait until they did, and he
threw back his handsome head at the thought, and an exultant flash came
into his blue eyes. Oh, he would be faithful, he would be magnanimous, and
he also admitted to himself that he would be very glad and grateful; but he
would be very patient, perhaps a little too much so to suit her. Since he
had been told to "wait," he would wait until her awakening heart
constrained her to give unequivocal signs of readiness to surrender.
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