"You young people read riddles into life. It is as simple as two plus
two is four."
"There you are--two plus two does not necessarily make four. It makes
five or forty. It depends on the symbols. Nothing in the world is exact,
or final. Everything is changeable, fluidic. That's the whole fabric of
modern thought."
The Professor's horrified glance was turned upon them.
"Oh, dear, oh, dear, there you go, upsetting everything. You are a pair
of maniacs, both of you. You ought to be shut away from people, with
your wild ideas."
He rushed out into his garden, sure of its calm, its mathematical
exactness. He was really disturbed by the ultra-modern theories these
ardent young iconoclasts forced him to consider.
"Poor Father Professor," laughed Bambi, at his retreat.
"Why do you let him stay back there in the Middle Ages?"
"He's happier there. It's peaceful. Modern times distress him so when he
remembers them."
"I suppose you are not an average family, are you?" he asked.
"I suppose not," she admitted.
"You are irritating, but interesting."
"I warn you to let father alone. He's too old to be hauled up-to-date.
Just consider him an interesting survival and let him be."
"I'll let him be. I'll put him in a play. He's good copy."
"He'll never know himself, so it won't matter."
They talked late about Jarvis's work, his methods of writing, the length
of time it took him to conceive and work out a play. It all fascinated
Bambi. She felt that a wonderful interest had come into her life. A new
thing was to be created, each day, under her roof, near her. She was to
have part in it, help in its shaping to perfection. She gloated over the
days to come, and a warm rush of gratitude to Jarvis for bringing her
this sense of his need of her made her burst out:
"Oh, life is such fun!"
He looked at her closely.
"You are a queer little mite," said he.
"The mite is mightier than the sword," she laughed, starting for the
garden. "You go to bed, so you can get an early start on that play. I'll
round up the Professor. He's forgotten to bring himself in."
He obeyed without objection. He felt, all at once, like a ship at anchor
after long years of floating aimlessly, but, manlike, he took his good
fortune as his just right, and it never occurred to him to thank Bambi
for his new sense of peace and well-being.
IV
The marriage of Jarvis and Bambi furnished the town with a ten days'
topic of conversation, a fact to which they were perfectly indifferent.
Then it was accepted, as any other wonder, such as a comet passing, or
an airship disaster.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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