This FreedomHutchinson, A. S. M. (Arthur Stuart-Menteth)
General
This Freedom
Hutchinson, A. S. M. (Arthur Stuart-Menteth)
Marriage -- Fiction; Women -- Social and moral questions -- Fiction
And Harry, with a light touch but a grave air, a happy setting for a
profound meaning, put it in a sentence. “Things which are equal to the
same thing are equal to one another,” said Harry.
She loved him so!
But there ought here to be explained for her what, loving him so and
he so loving her, she could not have known for herself. This plan of
maintaining their establishment by contribution of share and share was
maintained by Rosalie from the beginning--to the end. She never had
cause to doubt that in all the earnestness of that close conversation
Harry was utterly sincere. She often recalled that steady gaze with no
dissentient shade across it with which his eyes received her statement
of her case and knew that only truth was in that gaze. He did believe
what she believed. It only was afterwards she discovered that also he
believed that, both for her and him, the thing would mellow down as
mellows down the year, her heady Aprils burnt in June, her burning Junes
assuaging to September; that it would pass; that time--
Yes, it must be explained. It was not active in his mind, this
reservation. It was passive, underlying, subconscious, as beneath
vigour’s incredulity of death lies passively admission of death’s final
certitude. He believed what she believed; but he believed it as are
believed infinity and eternity: wherein mankind, believing, reposes upon
that limitation of the human mind which cannot conceive infinity but
sees ultimately an end, and can pretend eternity through myriad years
but feels ultimately a termination. Harry believed what she believed but
only by stabilisation of a man’s inherent articles of faith. He was of
the male kind; and observe, by an incident, what inherent processes of
thought the male kind has:
When they were looking over the house which ultimately they took--an all
ways most desirable house in Montpelier Crescent, Knightsbridge--Rosalie
had only a single objection: it was far too big.
“Miles too big,” cried Rosalie, coming up to the second floor where
Harry had preceded her. “What are you doing there, Harry? Miles too big,
I was saying. It really is. Of course I realise you must have a house
suitable to your fame but--What are you doing, Harry?”
“Fame, yes,” breathed Harry, desperately occupied. “I’ve turned on this
tap and I can’t turn it off again. Eternal fame. After me the deluge!”
She was looking around. “But, Harry, really! Look at this floor. Two
more huge rooms. What can we--”
“Mice and Mumps!” groaned Harry, straining at the tap. “Mice and Mumps!”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account