Page:Neith Boyce--The bond.djvu/99

Rh and I bring my reason to bear on your arguments, and we agree, and are as jolly as possible. … But there's another person in me that's quite different. You are responsible for that person—she never existed till you insisted that she should be—and she makes me very uncomfortable. She's responsible for my moods and silly jealousies of women that I know you don't care for. I am rational, but she is blind instinct. I know you belong to me, but she doubts it. I believe that even if another woman had a physical attraction for you, it wouldn't touch your feeling for me—but she would go wild at the thought of it. So look out for her. I am reasonable, as I said, but she"

"What an imagination you have!" laughed Basil, and he kissed her wrist. "Are you trying to make me believe that there's primeval passion in you? I know better. You're the most charming creature in the world, one of the most intelligent, and deliciously pretty, and thoroughly civilised. I don't believe for a minute in this other person you describe. You will dramatise everything! You don't care enough about me to be jealous, even with good reason. I only wish you did."

"All right," said Teresa composedly. "Give me a cigarette. What a heavenly day! What a delightful world! I love you, Basil. I do think I'm one of the luckiest people alive."