But as he
thought it was, it became very much the same thing. As a matter of fact,
only rather foolish girls were flattered at attentions from Bruce.
Married women preferred spirited bachelors, and attractive girls
preferred attractive boys. In fact, Bruce was not wanted socially, and
he felt a little bit out of it among the men through not being among the
fighters. The fact that he told everyone that he was not in khaki
because he was in consumption didn't seem to make him more interesting
to the general public. His neurotic heart bored his friends at the club.
In fact there was not a woman, even his mother, except Madame Frabelle,
who cared to listen to his symptoms. That she did so, and with sympathy,
was one of her attractions.
But as long as she had listened to them in a sisterly, friendly way, he
regarded her only as a friend--a friend of whom he was very proud, and
whom he respected immensely. As has been said, she impressed him so much
that he did not know she bored him. When she began rustling out of the
room when they were left alone, and looking away, avoiding his eye when
he stared at her absently, things were different, and he began to feel
rather flattered.
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