For, although at first it had struck her, that his offer was forced and goaded out of him by sharp compassion for the exposure she had made of herself,--which he, like others, might misunderstand--yet, even before he left the room,--and certainly not five minutes after, the clear conviction dawned upon her, shined bright upon her, that he did love her; that he had loved her; that he would love her. And she shrank and shuddered as under the fascination of some great power, repugnant to her whole previous life. She crept away, and hid from his idea. But it was of no use. To parody a line out of Fairfax's Tasso--
"His strong idea wandered through her thought."

For, although at first it had struck her that his offer was forced out of him by sharp compassion for the exposure she had made of herself - which he, like others, might misunderstand - yet five minutes after, the clear conviction dawned upon her that he did love her. And she shrank and shuddered as under the fascination of some great power, repugnant to her whole previous life. She crept away and hid from the idea, but in vain.
