Page:The Yellow Book - 05.djvu/38

30 "Yes," said I, eagerly. "And surely that is the way in which you must explain Eleanor's refusal."

"Pardon me," said Basil, raising a deprecating hand, "it is not quite so simple as that. But have you got that down? If so, please mark it Case B. Thirdly, we get a woman of a nobler nature who would have too much faith in her lover's generosity to believe him capable of suspecting her motives, and who would welcome the opportunity of showing that faith. Have you got that down?"

"Yes, every word," said I. "But, my dear fellow, that is a woman whose answer would be Yes."

"Exactly," replied Basil, imperturbably. "Mark it Case C. And now," he continued, lighting a cigarette, "have the goodness to favour me with your particular attention to this. There is a woman of moral sensibilities yet more refined who would fear lest her lover should suspect her of being actuated by motives really mercenary, but veiled under the pretence of a desire to demonstrate her reliance on his faith in her disinterestedness, and who would consequently answer No. Do you follow that?" "No, I'll be damned if I do!" I cried, throwing down the pencil.

"Ah," said Basil, sadly, "I was afraid so. Nevertheless, for convenience of reference, mark it Case D. There are of course numberless others; the series, as I have said, is infinite. There is Case E, that of the woman who rises superior to this last-mentioned fear, and says Yes; and there is Case F, that of the woman who fears to be suspected of only feigning such superiority and says No. But it is probably unnecessary to carry the analysis further. You believe that Miss Selden's refusal of me comes under Case B; I, on the other hand, from my experience of the singular subtlety and delicacy of her intellectual operations, am persuaded Rh