Marriage is an affair of give and take, not a circus where
one party holds the hoop while the other jumps through and shams dead.
We shall be happier later on if we get this clearly into our heads
now."
What he did say was: "Very well, dear. I'll write and tell her not to
come."
He knew he was being abominably weak, but he did not care. He even felt
a certain pleasure in his surrender. Big, muscular men are given to
this feebleness with women. Hercules probably wore an idiotic grin of
happiness when he spun wool for Omphale.
Since then the picture had been laid aside, but Kirk's desire to be up
and at it had grown with inaction. When a lazy man does make up his
mind to assail a piece of work, he is like a dog with a bone.
* * * * *
The music had stopped. Ruth swung round.
"What are you dreaming about Kirk?"
Kirk came to himself with a start.
"I was thinking of a lot of things. For one, about that picture of
mine."
"What about it?"
"Well, when I was going to finish it."
"Why don't you?"
Kirk laughed.
"Where's my model? You've scared her up a tree, and I can't coax her
down."
Ruth came over to him and sat down on a low chair at his side. She put
her arm round his waist and rested her head in the hollow of his
shoulder.
"Is he pining for his horrid Vince girl, the poor boy?"
"He certainly is," said Kirk.
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