Or, had he?
Was his honour bound?
Distance appeared to answer the question favourably.

There was safety in being distant from her.

She possessed an incomprehensible attractiveness.

She was at once powerful and pitiable: so that while he feared her, and was running from her spell, he said, from time to time, "Poor little thing!" and deeply hoped she would not be unhappy.
A showman once (a novice in his art, or ambitious beyond the mark), after a successful exhibition of his dolls, handed them to the company, with the observation, "satisfy yourselves, ladies and gentlemen." The latter, having satisfied themselves that the capacity of the lower limbs was extraordinary, returned them, disenchanted.

That showman did ill.
But I am not imitating him.