Page:The woman, the man, and the monster (IA womanmanmonster00dawe).pdf/311

 to be nothing more in life? Smug philosophy says it is our own fault; that if we are not petted, caressed, loved, the cause will be found inus. It may be so, but when the ordeal comes we are unfortunately still very human. Then it is that the devil comes along, takes us up and whirls us onward into madness. We don’t dwell on the commonplaces of life, we are so wise, so far-seeing, so infinitely superior to our surroundings; yet in those commonplaces lie all the germs of our great tragedies. We manufacture the evil-doer for the sake of hunt- ing him down, just as my lord rears pheasants for the pleasure of killing them. Women offer fine sport, Perseus—even finer than pheas- ants.”

The intense bitterness drove the look of alarm from her face; the lips, always suggestive of mockery, were curling scornfully. Omi- nously the heavy brows came together, and be- hind them the eyes seemed to recede, curiously, repellently. This was the mood he liked least of all in her; it seemed to create a gulf between them which he was totally unable to bridge. At such moments strange, half-regretful thoughts assailed him; the horizon grew cloudy.

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