In The Bronze Bow, why does Daniel leave the crowd watching the dancers?

It is important to place this scene, that occurs in
Chapter Twenty-Two of the novel, in context with what has happened just before it. Let
us remember that in Chapter Twenty-One, Daniel has met with Jesus and received his love
and has been asked to "love until the end." It is therefore highly ironic that in the
very next chapter, Daniel leaves the dancing before he sees Malthace, as he is unable to
receive the love that she has for him. Note why the text tells us that he
leaves:

She
was looking for someone, and suddenly Daniel could not bear to see her face when she
found him. He was shaken with terror. In a moment she would pass by where he stood, and
those seeking eyes would find him out, standing there in his homespun garment with his
soot-grimed hands and his bare feet. Would she go one, her eyes still seeking as they
were now? Would she dare even to show that she knew him before these others? Or would
she be ashamed?

Note how
Daniel is shown to be plagued with self-doubt. He recognises that he is just a poor
peasant compared to Malthace, and he begins to doubt that she could love him, fearing
that she might only be "embarrassed" by him and his poverty. Thus it is that Daniel
leaves the dancing before Malthace sees him, showing that he is a victim of his own
inner insecurities and self-doubt, and also showing that he still has a long way to go
until he can do what Jesus asked of him and love until the end.