But it is true all the same. The
other night when you said 'marriage is hideous,' I saw fear in your
eyes. There is fear in your eyes now."
The girl dropped her eyes and raised them again instantly. Her
slanting eyebrows frowned.
"Nevertheless," she said, "I shall not marry."
"But you will, as an honest person, admit the other part of the
proposition--that you want something at least of what marriage can
give?"
"Yes."
"Well then--that states your case. Now let me state mine. I, too,
have an insuperable objection to marriage. My--er--disinclination is
probably more soundly based than yours, since it is built upon a
wider view of life. But I, too, want certain things which marriage
might bring. I want a home. Not too homey a home, in the strictly
domestic sense (Aunt Caroline is strictly domestic) but a--a
congenial home. I want the advice and help of a clever woman
together with the sense of permanence and security which, in our
imperfect state of civilization, is made possible only by marriage.
And I, too, have my secret fear. I am afraid that some day I may be
driven--in short, I am afraid of Aunt Caroline."
Desire's inquiring eyebrows lifted.
"A man--afraid of his aunt?"
"Yes," gloomily, "it is men who are afraid of aunts. It is not at
all funny," he added as her eyes relaxed, "if you knew Aunt Caroline
you wouldn't think so. She is determined to have me married and she
has a long life of successful effort behind her.
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