Their seeds fly everywhere, are sown broadcast,
threaten the useful plants and the flowers incessantly, contrive
to grow, to flourish even, in the desert places. Craig had an
instinct against this plague; but he was far too self-confident to
suspect that it could enter his own gates and attack his own
fields. He did not dream that the chief reason why he thought
Grant and Margaret so well suited to each other was the reason of
snobbishness; that he was confusing their virtues with their
vices; and was admiring them for qualities which were blighting
their usefulness and even threatening to make sane happiness
impossible for either. It was not their real refinement that he
admired, and, at times, envied; it was their showy affectations of
refinement, those gaudy pretenses that appeal to the crude human
imagination, like uniforms and titles.
It had not occurred to him that Margaret might possibly be willing
to become his wife. He would have denied it as fiercely to himself
as to others, but at bottom he could not have thought of himself
as at ease in any intimate relation with her. He found her
beautiful physically, but much too fine and delicate to be
comfortable with.
Pages:
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132