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u would take a pleasure in making yourself over to suit her requirements。 But you aren't in love with her。 You are simply caught by her looks。 I tell you； you ought to look on that moment when she gave you back your ring as the luckiest moment of your life。 You ought to make a sort of anniversary of it。 You ought to endow a hospital or something out of pure gratitude。 I don't know how long you're going to liveif you act like a grown…up man instead of a boy and keep out of woods and shrubberies at night you may live for everbut you will never have a greater bit of luck than the one that happened to you to…night。'
Mr Pickering was convinced。 His spirits soared。 Marriage！ What was marriage？ Slavery； not to be endured by your man of spirit。 Look at all the unhappy marriages you saw everywhere。 Besides； you had only to recall some of the novels and plays of recent years to get the right angle on marriage。 According to the novelists and playwrights； shrewd fellows who knew what was what； if you talked to your wife about your business she said you had no soul； if you didn't； she said you didn't think enough of her to let her share your life。 If you gave her expensive presents and an unlimited credit account； she plained that you looked on her as a mere doll； and if you didn't； she called you a screw。 That was marriage。 If it didn't get you with the left jab； it landed on you with the right upper…cut。 None of that sort of thing for Dudley Pickering。
'You're absolutely right；' he said； enthusiastically。 'Funny I never looked at it that way before。'
Somebody was turning the door…handle。 He hoped it was Roscoe Sherriff。 He had been rather dull the last time Sherriff had looked in。 He would be quite different now。 He would be gay and sparkling。 He remembered two good stories he would like to tell Sherriff。
The door opened and Claire came in。 There was a silence。 She stood looking at him in a way that puzzled Mr Pickering。 If it had not been for her attitude at their last meeting and the manner in which she had broken that last meeting up； he would have said that her look seemed somehow to strike a note of appeal。 There was something soft and repentant about her。 She suggested； it seemed to Mr Pickering； the prodigal daughter revisiting the old homestead。
'Dudley！'
She smiled a faint smile； a wistful； deprecating smile。 She was looking lovelier than ever。 Her face glowed with a wonderful colour and her eyes were very bright。 Mr Pickering met her gaze； and strange things began to happen to his mind； that mind which a moment before had thought so clearly and established so definite a point of view。
What a gelatine…backboned thing is man； who prides himself on his clear reason and bees as wet blotting…paper at one glance from bright eyes！ A moment before Mr Pickering had thought out the whole subject of woman and marriage in a few bold flashes of his capable brain； and thanked Providence that he was not as those men who take unto themselves wives to their undoing。 Now in an instant he had lost that iron outlook。 Reason was temporarily out of business。 He was slipping。
'Dudley！'
For a space Subconscious Self thrust itself forward。
'Look out！ Be careful！' it warned。
Mr Pickering ignored it。 He was watching； fascinated； the glow on Claire's face； her shining eyes。
'Dudley； I want to speak to you。'
'Tell her you can only be seen by appointment！ Escape！ Bolt！'
Mr Pickering did not bolt。 Claire came towards him； still smiling that pathetic smile。 A thrill permeated Mr Pickering's entire one hundred and ninety…seven pounds； trickling down his spine like hot water and ing out at the soles of his feet。 He had forgotten now that he had ever sneered at marriage。 It seemed to him now that there was nothing in life to be pared with that beatific state； and that bachelors were mere wild asses of the desert。
Claire came and sat down on the arm of his chair。 He moved convulsively； but he stayed where he was。
'Fool！' said Subconscious Self。
Claire took hold of his hand and patted it。 He quivered； but remained。
'Ass！' hissed Subconscious Self。
Claire stopped patting his hand and began to stroke it。 Mr Pickering breathed heavily。
'Dudley； dear；' said Claire； softly； 'I've been an awful fool； and I'm dreadful； dreadful sorry； and you're going to be the nicest； kindest； sweetest man on earth and tell me you've forgiven me。 Aren't you？'
Mr Pickering's lips moved silently。 Claire kissed the thinning summit of his head。 There was a pause。
'Where is it？' she asked。
Mr Pickering started。
'Eh？'
'Where is it？ Where did you put it？ The ring； silly！'
Mr Pickering became aware that Subconscious Self was addressing him。 The occasion was tense； and Subconscious Self did not mince its words。
'You poor； maudlin； sentimental； doddering chunk of imbecility；' it said； 'are there no limits to your insanity？ After all I said to you just now； are you deliberately going to start the old idiocy all over again？'
'She's so beautiful！' pleaded Mr Pickering。 'Look at her eyes！'
'Ass！ Don't you remember what I said about beauty？'
'Yes； I know； but'
'She's as hard as nails。'
'I'm sure you're wrong。'
'I'm not wrong。'
'But she loves me。'
'Forget it！'
Claire jogged his shoulders。
'Dudley； dear； what are you sitting there dreaming for？ Where did you put the ring？'
Mr Pickering fumbled for it； located it； produced it。 Claire examined it fondly。
'Did she throw it at him and nearly break his heart！' she said。
'Bolt！' urged Subconscious Self。 'Fly！ Go to Japan！'
Mr Pickering did not go to Japan。 He was staring worshippingly at Claire。 With rapturous gaze he noted the grey glory of her eyes； the delicate curve of her cheek； the grace of her neck。 He had no time to listen to pessimistic warnings from any Gloomy Gus of a Subconscious Self。 He was ashamed that he had ever even for a moment allowed himself to be persuaded that Claire was not all that was perfect。 No more doubts and hesitations for Dudley Pickering。 He was under the influence。
'There！' said Claire； and slipped the ring on her finger。
She kissed the top of his head once more。
'So there we are！' she said。
'There we are！' gurgled the infatuated Dudley。
'Happy now？'
'Ur…r！'
'Then kiss me。'
Mr Pickering kissed her。
'Dudley； darling；' said Claire； 'we're going to be awfully； awfully happy； aren't we？'
'You bet we are！' said Mr Pickering。
Subconscious Self said nothing； being beyond speech。
21
For some minutes after Claire had left him Bill remained where he was； motionless。 He felt physically incapable of moving。 All the strength that was in him he was using to throw off the insidious poison of her parting speech； and it became plainer to him with each succeeding moment that he would have need of strength。
It is part of the general irony of things that in life's crises a man's good qualities are often the ones that help him least； if indeed they do not actually turn treacherously and fight against him。 It was so with Bill。 Modesty； if one may trust to the verdict of the mass of mankind； is a good quality。 It sweetens the soul and makes for a kindly understanding of one's fellows。 But arrogance would have served Bill better now。 It was his fatal habit of self…depreciation that was making Claire's words so specious as he stood there trying to cast them from his mind。 Who was he； after all； that he should imagine that he had won on his personal merits a girl like Elizabeth Boyd？
He had the not very mon type of mind that perceives the merit in others more readily than their faults； and in himself the faults more readily than the merit。 Time and the society of a great number of men of different ranks and natures had rid him of the outer symbol of this type of mind； which is shyness； but it had left him still unconvinced that he amounted to anything very much as an individual。
This was the thought that met him every time he tried to persuade himself that what Claire had said was ridiculous； the mere parting shaft of an angry woman。 With this thought as an ally her words took on a plausibility hard to withstand。 Plausible！ That was the devil of it。 By no effort could he blind himself t