Richard Forrest, Bachelor — page 191: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

182 “WHERE CAN SHE BE?” ‘*Rose,’’ why do you make yourself miserable on my ac- count? Believe me, Ido not wish your pity nor deserve your scorn. Iam as happy as most people. I am success- ful, flattered, popular, and have no wish ungratified. Wait and let me plead my cause. Have you forgotten my nature? We are so different, you and I—you must long ago have comprehended the fact that we are in no way qualified to live together. Our tastes always were diametrically op- posed. What you considered peace and comfort in the old days disgusted me. You liked the humdrum life of Wall- ford. I detested it. You made an idol of me and denied yourself everything for my sake. I knew this; I ascepted the sacrifice—to please you. But in spite of all—your love —your indulgence, I was far from contented; I felt like a caged bird. Well, at last I was offered an opportunity for freedom which I grasped. ‘To-day Iam somebody. Life is not spent in vain, It was always my ambition to amount to something, to shine before the world, and I have suc- ceeded beyond my wildest dreams. I fled from you as I did because I thought it best—the only way. You would have wept, pleaded, prayed to keep me at home, which would only have made matters worse, as I was tired to death of it all. Moreover, we were not surfeited with this world’s goods, you know—what we had was barely sufficient for the needs of one of us, and I always had high notions. So I left it all for you. They told meI could sing and act, so I was finally persuaded to find out if everybody had mere- ly flattered me. I came to Paris, though not ‘hurriedly,’ in the way you imagine, and got an engagement with- out difficulty. Now I can almost dictate my own terms.”’ ‘‘But your jewels and the chateau in Normandy?’’ per- GOMIEgdOOKST;com