ringabarrenrocktheseabreaksintowavesandisdispersedinfoam,whiletherockremainseverunchanged.Thissimile,bytheway,wouldnothavedispleasedEdwardwhenhethoughtatall,helikedtothinkhowfirmandsteadfasthewas.
Atnight,beforegoingtosleep,itwasBertha’sgreatestpleasuretokissherhusbandonthelips,anditmortifiedhertoseehowmechanicallyherepliedtothisembrace.Itwasalwaysshewhohadtomaketheadvance,andwhen,totryhim,sheomittedtodoso,hepromptlywentofftosleepwithoutevenbiddinghergood-night.Thenshetoldherselfthathemustutterlydespiseher.
“Oh,itdrivesmemadtothinkofthedevotionIwasteonyou,”shecried.“I’mafool!Youareallintheworldtome,andI,toyou,amasortofaccident:youmighthavemarriedanyonebutme.IfIhadn’tcomeacrossyourpathyouwouldinfalliblyhavemarriedsomebodyelse.”
“Well,sowouldyou,”heanswered,laughing.
“I?Never!IfIhadnotmetyouIshouldhavemarriednoone.Myloveisn’tabaublethatIamwillingtogivetowhomeverchancethrowsinmyway.Myheartisoneandindivisibleitwouldbeimpossibleformetoloveanyonebutyou....WhenIthinkthattoyouI’mnothingmorethananyotherwomanmightbe,I’mashamed.”
“Youdotalkthemostawfulrotsometimes.”
“Ah,thatsummarisesyourwholeopinion.ToyouI’mmerelyafoolofawoman.I’madomesticanimal,alittlemorecompanionablethanadog,butonthewhole,notsousefulasacow.”
“Idon’tknowwhatyouwantmetodomorethanIactuallydo.Youcan’texpectmetobekissingandcuddlingallthetime.Thehoneymoonismeantforthat,andamanwhogoesonhoneymooningallhislife,isanass.”
“Ahyes,withyouloveiskeptoutofsightallday,whileyouareoccupiedwiththeseriousaffairsoflife,suchasshearingsheeporhuntingfoxesandafterdinneritarisesinyourbosom,especiallyifyou’vehadgoodthingstoeat,andisindistinguishablefromtheprocessofdigestion.Butformeloveiseverything,thecauseandreasonoflife.WithoutloveIshouldbenon-existent.”
“Well,youmayloveme,”saidEdward,“but,byJove,you’vegotajollyfunnywayofshowingit....ButasfarasI’mconcerned,ifyou’lltellmewhatyouwantmetodo,I’lltryanddoit.”
“Oh,howcanItellyou?”shecried,impatiently