He was in love, very much in love; and it was a love which, operating on an active, sanguine spirit, of more warmth than delicacy, made her affection appear of greater consequence because it was withheld, and determined him to have the glory, as well as the felicity, of forcing her to love him.
Narrator
Source
Mansfield Park, Chapter XXXIII. A narrative description of Henry Crawford’s pursuit of Fanny Price.
Context
Fanny’s refusal intensifies Henry’s determination, turning her withheld affection into a prize that appeals to his energetic and competitive temperament.