In fact, I'm afraid I said
rather hard things about him. I admit now that I was wrong. Simpkins
couldn't and wouldn't go near her while you were there. It would have
been no use if he had. I must say, Major, you are a most difficult man
to work with. Here I've been sacrificing the whole of my short holiday
to carrying through a difficult negotiation for your benefit, and all
you do is to balk me at every turn, to fling obstacles in my way, to
foul every rope I'm trying to get a pull on. How can I marry Simpkins
to Miss King if you won't let him go near her?"
"She won't marry him, J. J.; so you may put the idea out of your head
once for all. She doesn't like him."
"I suppose," said Meldon, "that you spent the afternoon crabbing him;
saying all the evil you could think of about him. But you've wasted
your time. Miss King's views of marriage are entirely unconventional.
She doesn't marry her husbands with the intention of living with them.
The less she likes a man the more willing she is to marry him, because
she'll feel less compunction afterwards if she thoroughly detests her
husband to start with."
"She won't marry Simpkins, any how," said the Major obstinately.
Pages:
226
227
228
229
230
231
232
233
234
235
236
237
238
239
240
241
242
243
244
245
246
247
248
249
250