“Oh--I’m up against it, as usual,” said I gloomily. He laughed. My pessimism was one of the jokes of my friends. But, having seen so much of the ravages of optimism--of the cheer-boys-cheer and always-look-at-the-bright-side sort of thing, I had given myself the habit of reckoning in the possibilities of disaster at full value when I made plans. Little people ought always to be optimistic. Then, their enthusiasm--_if_ directed by some big person--produces good results, where they would avail nothing could they see the dangers in advance. But big people must not be--and are not--optimists, whatever they may pretend. The big man must foresee all the chances against success. Then, if his judgment tells him there is still a chance for success, his courage of the big man will enable him to go firmly ahead, not blunderingly but wisely. The general must be pessimist. The private must be optimist; for if he were pessimist, if he saw what the general must see, he would be paralyzed with fear and doubt. “You’re always grumbling,” said Armitage. “Yet you’re the luckiest man I know.” “Perhaps that’s why,” replied I. He understood, nodded. “Doubtless,” said he. “What’s luck? Nothing but shrewd calculation. The fellow who can’t calculate soon loses any windfalls that may happen to blunder his way. But what’s the grouch now?” I was so helplessly befogged that I resolved to tell him. “My late wife is threatening not to release me,” said I. He smiled curiously. “But she hasn’t done it yet?” “Not yet,” replied I. “At least not up to eleven o’clock this morning, New York time.” “I don’t think she will,” said he. “Why?” demanded I. “You won’t let her, for one reason,” replied he. “You’re as fond of your freedom as I am. And nothing on earth could induce me to marry again. When women--English women--look at me I see them fairly twitching to get me where they can make free use of me. Yes--marriage has gone the way of everything else. Business--finance--politics--religion--they’ve all degenerated into so many means of graft. And art’s going the same way. And marriage--it’s the woman’s great and only graft. Our women look at marriage in two ways--how much can be got out of it, living with the man; how much will it net as alimony.” “You seemed rather positive that my late wife would not hold on to me?” persisted I. He eyed me sharply. “You really wish to be free?” “I am determined to be free.” “She’s a charming--a lovely woman,” said he. There was doubt of my candor in his eyes. It is all but impossible for a man rightly to judge any woman except her he has tired of or for some other reason does not want and cannot imagine himself wanting. The unpossessed woman has but the one value; the possessed woman must have other values--or she has none. Armitage could judge Edna only as female, unpossessed female. Said he: “She’s a charming--a lovely woman.” “Like the former Mrs. Armitage,” I reminded him.