/lit/ - Literature

What do y'all think of this?

Quick question - in Faulkner's Light in August, at the end, Byron (sort of) ends up with Lena. He's described like this:

...Standing there, face and no face, hangdog and determined and calm too, like he had done desperated himself up for the last time, to take the last chance, and that now he knew he wouldn’t ever have to desperate himself again...

The typical Faulkner-verb "desperated" refers to his (lame) attempt the previous night to sleep with Lena (she tells him not to be silly, basically).
How do people read this passage? Is it implying he isn't ever going to try again (and won't ever sleep with her), or that having nerved himself up like that once, even though he failed miserably, he's over his shyness now and WILL sleep with her when she's ready?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rog4I40Heko