A joyful, unexpected frenzy, of which he had thought himself incapable, possessed him. The whole meaning of life⁠—not for him alone but for the whole world⁠—seemed to him centered in his love and the possibility of being loved by her. At times everybody seemed to him to be occupied with one thing only⁠—his future happiness. Sometimes it seemed to him that other people were all as pleased as he was himself and merely tried to hide that pleasure by pretending to be busy with other interests. In every word and gesture he saw allusions to his happiness. He often surprised those he met by his significantly happy looks and smiles which seemed to express a secret understanding between him and them. And when he realized that people might not be aware of his happiness, he pitied them with his whole heart and felt a desire somehow to explain to them that all that occupied them was a mere frivolous trifle unworthy of attention.