Page:Encounters (Bowen).djvu/135

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THE LOVER


Cicely had never known till this moment whether Herbert really approved of them.

" The most surprising people," he continued, "make a success of matrimony. Of course, people have varying ideas of comfort; everybody does not understand this, therefore there have been, alas, unhappy marriages."

"But the right people always find each other in the end," said Cicely dreamily. "You did sort of feel, didn't you, Herbert, when you first met Doris———"

"Women have these fancies"—Herbert was all indulgence for them—"Doris has confessed to me that she was affected, quite extraordinarily affected, by our first meeting. It made little or no impression upon me. But Doris is a true woman."

"What is a true woman?" asked Richard suddenly. Herbert thought it must be very uncomfortable to live with a person who asked these disconcerting, rather silly questions. He supposed Cicely was used to his ways. Cicely sat stirring her tea and smiling fatuously at her husband.

Herbert, after consideration, decided to

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