He left the house with his mind in confusion as to the meaning of
Mills’s offer. He drove about for an hour, pondering it, reviewing the
whole evening from the first mention of Laconia to the suggestion,
with its plausible inadvertence, that business openings might be
found for him. Mills was hardly the man to make such a proposition
to a comparative stranger without reason. The very manner in which
he had approached the subject was significant. _Mills knew!_ If he
didn’t know, at least his suspicions were strongly aroused. Either his
conscience was troubling him and he wished to quiet it by a display of
generosity, or he was anxious to establish an obligation that would
reduce to the minimum the chance that any demand might be made upon
him. Bruce was glad to be in a position to refuse Mills’s help; his
mother’s care and self-denial had made it unnecessary for him to abase
himself by accepting Mills’s bounty.
He wished he knew some way of making Mills understand that he was in no
danger; that any fears of exposure he might entertain were groundless.
His pride rose strong in him as he reviewed his hours spent with Mills.
He had not acquitted himself badly; he had forced Mills to respect him,
and this was a point worth establishing. When finally he fell asleep
it was with satisfaction,--a comforting sense of his independence and
complete self-mastery.