The only reason that Caius did not give them back scorn
for scorn and anger for their lazy indifference was the reason that
formed his third and greatest interest in his work; this was his desire
to please Madame Le Maitre.
If he had never known and loved the lady of the sea, he thought that his
desire to please Madame Le Maitre would have been almost the same. She
exercised over him an inexplicable influence, and he would have felt
almost superstitious at being under this spell if he had not observed
that everyone who came much in contact with her, and who was able to
appreciate her, was ruled also, and that, not by any claim of authority
she put forth, but just because it seemed to happen so. She was more
unconscious of this influence than anyone. Those under her rule
comprised one or two of the better men of the island, many of the poor
women, the girls in her house, and O'Shea. With regard to himself, Caius
knew that her influence, if not augmented, was supplemented, by his
belief that in pleasing her he was making his best appeal to the favour
of the woman he loved.
He never from the first day forgot his love in his work. His business
was to do all that he could to serve Madame Le Maitre, whose heart was
in the healing of the people, but his business also was to find out the
answer to the riddle in which his own heart was bound up.
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