" Unlike her
precious relative, unlike the majority of her sex, Shirley had a
wonderfully balanced sense of the eternal fitness of things; her code
of honour resembled that of a very gallant gentleman. She could love
well and hate well.
A careful analysis of Shirley's feelings toward Bryce Cardigan
immediately following the incident in Pennington's woods, had showed
her that under more propitious circumstances she might have fallen in
love with that tempestuous young man in sheer recognition of the many
lovable and manly qualities she had discerned in him. As an offset to
the credit side of Bryce's account with her, however, there appeared
certain debits in the consideration of which Shirley always lost her
temper and was immediately quite certain she loathed the unfortunate
man.
He had been an honoured and (for aught Shirley knew to the contrary)
welcome guest in the Penninton home one night, and the following day
had assaulted his host, committed great bodily injuries upon the
latter's employees for little or no reason save the satisfaction of
an abominable temper, made threats of further violence, declared his
unfaltering enmity to her nearest and best-loved relative, and in the
next breath had had the insolence to prate of his respect and
admiration for her.
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