(Abridged)
after Somerset Maugham
I always believed that if the woman made up her mind to marry a man, nothing but, instant flight could save him. And not always even that: for once a friend of mine understanding this; boarded a ship from a certain port with a tcothbrush for all his luggage and spent a year travelling round the world; but when thinking himself safe (he was sure that in twelve month woman would have forgotten all about him) he landed at the same port, the first person he saw gaily waving to him was the lady from whom he had tried to escape. I knew only one man who in such circumstances managed to free himself. His name was Roger Charing. He was no longer young when he fell in love with Ruth Barlow and he had enough experience to be careful; but Ruth Barlow had a gift that makes most men defenceless; this was the gift of pathos.
Mrs. Barlow was a widow. She had splendid, always gleaming eyes that seemed to be eyer on the point or filling with tears, and you felt that, poor dear, she had suffered very much in her life. Roger Charing was a strong fellow with plenty of money and he fluid to himself: I must stand between the hazards of life and this helpless little thing and take the sadness out of those big, and lovely eyes. When he told me that he had asked her to marry him, I wished him Joy.
I couldn't say anything else. I knew she was stupid and I thought that she was scheming. My own belief was that she was as hard as nails,
Roger introduced her to his friends. He gave her jewels. He took her everywhere. Their marriage was announced for the nearest future, Roger was very happy because he thought he was doing a good deed. He was very much pleased with himself.
Then, suddenly, he fell out of love, I do not know why. Maybe he saw that she was not very clever, or perhaps her pathetic gleam ceased to wring his heartstring. His eyes were opened and he was once again the shrewd roan of the world that he had been. He understood that Ruth Barlow had made up her mind to marry him for his money and he swore a solemn oath that nothing would make him marry her. But he knew that she would never release him if he simply asked her.
So Roger thought of a plan. He did not show Ruth Barlow that his feelings for her had changed. He remained attentive to all her wishes; he took her to dine at restaurants, they went to the theatre together, he sent her flowers; he was sympathetic and charming. They had made up their minds that they would be married as soon as they found a house that suited them, and they started looking for a house.
Together with Ruth he visited house after house. They examined them thoroughly, from the cellars in the basement to the attics under the roof. Sometimes the houses were too large and sometimes they were too small; sometimes they were too far from the centre and sometimes they were too close; sometimes they were too expensive and sometimes they were too stuffy and sometimes they were too airy; sometimes they were too dark and sometimes they were too cold. Roger always found a fault that made the house unsuitable, for he could not ask hid dear Ruth to live in any but, perfect house, and the perfect house wonted finding. Househunting is tiring and tiresome business, and presently Ruth became peevish, Roger bagged her to have patience; somewhere, surely, there existed the very house they were looking for, and it only needed a little perseverance and they would find it. They looked at hundreds of houses, they climbed thousands of stairs; they inspected innumerable kitchens. Ruth was annoyed and more than once lost her temper.
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"If you don't find a house soon", she said, "I shall have to reconsider my position. If you go on like this, we shall not be married for years".
"Don't say that" he answered.” I ask you to have patience. I have just received some new lists from my agents. There are about sixty houses on the list".
They set out to look for a house again. For two years they looked at houses. Ruth grew silent and sorrowful and therewas a sullen expression in her beautiful pathetic eyes. At last she lost all patience and asked Rogers: "Do you want to marry me or do you not?"
Her voice was hard.
But Roger answered gently: "Of course I do. We shell be marriedas soon as we find a house. By the way, I have just heard of something that might suit us".
"I do not feel well enough to look at any more houses just now".
"Poor dear, you look rather tired".
Ruth Barlow stayed at home. She didn't wont to see Roger, and he had to content himself with sending her flowers and asking about her health. A week passed and then she received the following letter:
Roger,
I do not think you really love me. So I have found someone else who is anxious to take care of me and I am going to be married to him today.
Ruth.
He sent back his reply by special messenger:
Ruth,
Your news shatters me.
I shall never get over the blow, but I must think of your happiness first. I am sending you seven new addresses that I have recovered by post today and I am quite sure that you will find among them a house that will suit you.
Roger.