Page:The Novels and Tales of Henry James, Volume 1 (New York, Charles Scribner's Sons, 1907).djvu/116

 time; three months hence probably you would have guessed it. I 'm engaged to marry Mary Garland."

Rowland sat staring; though the sea was calm it seemed to him that the ship gave a great dizzying lurch. But in a moment he contrived to answer coherently. "Engaged to marry her! I never supposed—I never imagined!—"

"That I was in love with her?" Roderick interrupted. "Neither did I before this last fortnight. But you came and put me into such ridiculous good-humour that I felt an extraordinary desire to spill over to some woman, and I suppose I took the nearest. Really I may say the dearest too, for Mary 's a dear; you know her too little to do her justice. I myself have only been learning to know her from three months ago, and have been falling in love with her without suspecting it. It appeared when I spoke to her that she thought distinctly better of me than I supposed. So the thing was settled. I must of course make lots of money before 'we can marry, and it's rather awkward, certainly, to engage one's self to a girl whom one is going to leave for years the next day. We shall be condemned for some time to come to do a terrible deal of abstract thinking about each other. But I wanted her blessing and I couldn't help asking for it. Unless a man's unnaturally selfish he needs to work for some one else than himself, and I 'm sure I shall run a smoother and swifter course for knowing that there 's a person so good and clever and charming, to whom my success will make the grand difference, waiting at Northampton for news of my greatness. If ever I 'm 82