Page:HG Wells--secret places of the heart.djvu/33

Rh lished book the advantages of an abrupt break and a pause.

Sir Richmond shrugged his shoulders and smiled. “And you propose a vermin hunt in the old tenement?”

“The modern man has to be master in his own house. He has to take stock and know what is there.”

“Three weeks of self vivisection.”

“To begin with. Three weeks of perfect honesty with yourself. As an opening.... It will take longer than that if we are to go through with the job.”

“It is a considerable—process.”

“It is.”

“Yet you shrink from simple things like drugs!”

“Self-knowledge—without anæsthetics.”

“Has this sort of thing ever done anyone any good at all?”

“It has turned hundreds back to sanity and steady work.”

“How frank are we going to be? How full are we going to be? Anyhow—we can break off at any time.... We’ll try it. We’ll try it.... And so for this journey into the west of England.... And—if we can get there—I’m not sure that we can get there—into the secret places of my heart.”