He saw life stretching out before him, a sunlit, pleasant journey in Marion's company.

It did not seem to him that any trouble could be really bad, any disappointment intolerable, any toil oppressive with her love for an atmosphere round him.

He believed, too, that the work he was undertaking was a good work, perhaps the highest and noblest kind of work there is to be done in the world.

From this conviction also came a glow of happiness.

Yet there kept recurring chill shudderings of self-reproach.