When we were settled in two comfortable arm chairs before the fire, he
held forth as usual. He had arranged the affairs of Bobby Bulteel only
in the nick of time. "I have all the receipts, Nicholas, to hand to
you," he said.
"The wretched creature was overcome with gratitude. We had a long chat,
and he plans to clear out and start life afresh in the Argentine as soon
as War is over and he can be released from his commission. He is bound
to end in hell with his temperament, but it won't matter so long as poor
Lady Hilda is not dragged down too. He agreed to leave the family here
unmolested now, and not return for years to them, when he does retire
from the army."
Then I told my old friend that I intended to marry the daughter on the
morrow. He was very surprised.
"I could not imagine what your interest could be, Nicholas, unless it
had something to do with a woman, but where did you ever meet the girl,
my dear boy?"
I explained.
"You might come to the wedding, George," I said.
He promised he would, then he smoked for a minute or two in silence.
"Pretty terrible thing, marriage," and he puffed blue rings with perfect
precision. "I have never been able to face it. What has made you slip
into the mesh?"
"Because I think I have found someone who will be a good companion and
not bore me."
"You are not in love then? It is a sensible arrangement, and in that way
you have a chance of happiness; also the girl has had a hard life, and
may be grateful for comfort and kindness."
"What do you suppose men really want, George?"
"The continuous stimulation of the hunting instinct, of course. It is
satiety which kills everything, but what a small percentage of women
know how to keep it alive, on the mental side!"
I waited for him to go on.
"You see, dear boy, love which is only the camouflaged aspect of the
creative instinct, cannot really hold, but a clever woman acts as a spur
to the mind, keeps it hunting in the abstract, as well as gratifying,
not too generously, the physical desires. Unfortunately it has never
been my good fortune to encounter such a being, so I have never been
able to remain faithful. You are very much in luck if Bobby's girl shows
intelligence. She ought to be a remarkable creature because she was born
at the white heat of passion on both parents' side, and self-sacrifice
and devotion added on the mother's."