Richard Forrest, Bachelor — page 226: what you’re looking at

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

A HOMILY 9N MATRIMONY. 217 broke out, ina burst of enthusiasm, ‘‘hang it all, why don’t you get married?”’ A look of mock distress came into his friend’s face. ‘Spare me, Arthur, I beseech you. Must I repeat for the thousand and first time that I have a wholesome horror of the institution?’’ he returned, plaintively. ‘‘You know——’’ | ‘‘I know that it’s‘the only proper way for a man of any character to live. On my honor, I don’t think we are of any sort of use until we have been under the refining in- fluences of a woman of the right kind. There——’’ ‘*“There’s the rub,’’’ interrupted Dick; ‘‘women of the ‘right kind,’ unfortunately, don’t fall to every fellow’s lot. Quite the reverse, in fact. Possibly it’s the fault of our social system.’’ ‘The fault of our social system?’’ repeated Arthur, in- quiringly, ‘“‘Yes. As a Frenchman would put it, figurez vous. A man sees an attractive face ina ball-room, he off- handedly seeks an introduction. The fair one proves to be chic or chatty; perhaps she is entirely genuine in her man- ner, and converses ina sensible way on sensible topics, and he is sufficiently impressed to beg permission to call. A second visit fascinates him yet more, particularly if he manages to see her alone. She may even go so far as to drive with him, if mamma is not discouragingly straight- laced. At last an. opportunity presents itself, in Mrs. ~Quatre-cent’s conservatory, very likely, where they are cooling off after a waltz. He murmurs a few impassioned words into her shell-like ear; she replies with a sigh and a long, shy glance—patented, though, if the poor wretch but knew it. A moment later he has begged her to ‘make him happy.’ She blushingly sends him to papa, who, of course, EGOmMIGchbooks (C) im