Robert felt that he wanted to spend a quiet five minutes or so before
the Conference resumed; so he hurried through with his dinner and then
strolled out into Princes Street Gardens, which attracted him very much.
His mind seemed to want peace and quietness, and as he walked along,
turning over the situation and examining it from all points of view, the
fluttering of early mating birds among the shrubs soon shifted his
thoughts to other things; and, as they romped and courted, and fought
among the bushes, his thoughts went back to the moor at home, and the
little wood, and the memories of other things.
The vague stirrings of power within him had become more pronounced
during the last six months, and he felt conscious of a growing sense of
importance. It was not that he was conceited, but his mental muscles, as
it were, seemed to have gained in power from the strenuous exertions
which they had lately undertaken.
He knew that he possessed talents far above the average of his class. He
was sensible of a certain superiority, yet it was not from the
contemplation of this that he drew his elation. He saw the issue quite
clearly and knew the pathway which must be trodden.
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