Nonsense! Why, I've been in love with twenty girls, and I haven't married them all. One can't do that sort of thing in a country where they give you seven years for bigamy. Every public-house along the Thames from Barnes to Taplow is the tombstone of an unrequited passion of my youth. I loved 'em dearly, but I never asked 'em to marry me. BASIL. [_Tightening his lips._] I'd rather you didn't make jokes about it, John. JOHN. Are you sure you're not making an ass of yourself? If you've got into a mess, surely we can get you out. Marriage, like hanging, is rather a desperate remedy. [BASIL _is sitting down and moodily shrugs his shoulders._ JOHN _goes up to him, and putting his hands on his friend's shoulders looks into his eyes._ JOHN. Why are you going to marry her, Basil? BASIL. [_Springing up impatiently._] Damn you, why don't you mind your own business? JOHN. Don't be a fool, Basil. BASIL. Can't I marry any one I choose? It's nothing to you, is it? D'you suppose I care if she's a barmaid? [_He walks up and down excitedly, while_ JOHN _with steady eyes watches him._ JOHN. Basil, old man, we've known each other a good many years now. Don't you think you'd better trust me? BASIL. [_Setting his teeth._] What d'you want to know? JOHN. Why are you going to marry her? BASIL. [_Abruptly, fiercely._] Because I must. JOHN. [_Nodding his head quietly._] I see. [_There is a silence. Then_ BASIL, _more calmly turns to_ JOHN. BASIL. D'you remember Jenny? JOHN. Yes, rather. Why, we always lunched there in the old days. BASIL. Well, after I came back from the Cape I began going there again. When I was out there she took it into her head to write me a letter, rather ill-spelt and funny--but I was touched that she thought of me. And she sent some tobacco and some cigarettes. JOHN. My maiden aunt sent you a woollen comforter, but I'm not aware that in return you ever made her a proposal of marriage. BASIL. And so in one way and another I came to know Jenny rather well. She appeared to get rather fond of me--and I couldn't help seeing it. JOHN. But she always pretended to be engaged to that scrubby little chap with false teeth who used to hang about the bar and make sheep's eyes at her over innumerable Scotch-and-sodas. BASIL. He made a scene because I took her out on one of her off-nights, and she broke it off. I couldn't help knowing it was on my account. JOHN. Well, and after that? BASIL. After that I got into the habit of taking her to the play, and so on. And finally ...! JOHN. How long has this been going on? BASIL. Several months. JOHN. And then? BASIL. Well, the other day she wired for me. I found her in the most awful state. She was simply crying her eyes out, poor thing. She'd been seedy and gone to the doctor's. And he told her ... JOHN. What you might really have foreseen. BASIL.