The narrator is deeply conflicted about the affection of the man in question, feeling both relief at his absence and a profound distress over the man's desires. This is supported by the narrator's statement, "But in my soul I was glad he was gone," which reveals their underlying fear of his affection despite recognizing his gentle demeanor.
He was gone. I never felt so stunned, so distressed, so bewildered in my life. But in my soul I was glad he was gone. With all his gentleness of manner and his soft voice, I shuddered whenever he turned his hungry eye upon me; and when I heard that I had achieved his perilous affection, and that I stood almost with the late Harris in his esteem, my heart fairly stood still! I was bewildered beyond description. I did not doubt his word; I could not question a single item in a statement so stamped with the earnestness of truth as his; but its dreadful details overpowered me, and threw my thoughts into hopeless confusion.
Use the passage to answer the question. In 1–2 sentences, explain an inference about the narrator based on the details in the passage, and provide at least one piece of strong evidence to support your inference. (2 points)
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