Sir Richmond darkly and desperately. "Perhaps
she would. Perhaps it would be better if she was."

Dr. Martineau raised his eyebrows in a furtive aside.

"But here you see that it is that in my case, the fundamental
incompatibility between one's affections and one's wider conception of
duty and work comes in. We cannot change social institutions in a year
or a lifetime. We can never change them to suit an individual case.
That would be like suspending the laws of gravitation in order to move
a piano. As things are, Martin is no good to me, no help to me. She is a
rival to my duty. She feels that. She is hostile to my duty. A definite
antagonism has developed. She feels and treats fuel--and everything to
do with fuel as a bore. It is an attack. We quarrel on that. It isn't as
though I found it so easy to stick to my work that I could disregard her
hostility. And I can't bear to part from her. I threaten it, distress
her excessively and then I am overcome by sympathy for her and I go back
to her.... In the ordinary course of things I should be with her now."

"If it were not for the carbuncle?"

"If it were not for the carbuncle. She does not care for me to see her
disfigured. She does not understand--" Sir Richmond was at a loss for a
phrase--"that it is not her good looks."

"She won't let you go to her?"

"It amounts to that.... And soon there will be all the trouble about
educating the girl. Whatever happens, she must have as good a chance
as--anyone...."

"Ah! That is worrying you too!"

"Frightfully at times. If it were a boy it would be easier. It needs
constant tact and dexterity to fix things up. Neither of us have any. It
needs attention...."

Sir Richmond mused darkly.

Dr. Martineau thought aloud. "An incompetent delightful person with
Martin Leeds's sense of humour. And her powers of expression. She must
be attractive to many people. She could probably do without you. If once
you parted."

Sir Richmond turned on him eagerly.

"You think I ought to part from her? On her account?"

"On her account. It might pain her. But once the thing was done--"

"I want to part. I believe I ought to part."

"Well?"

"But then my affection comes in."

"That extraordinary--TENDERNESS of yours?"

"I'm afraid."

"Of what?"

"Anyone might get hold of her--if I let her down. She hasn't a tithe of
the ordinary coolheaded calculation of an average woman.... I've a duty
to her genius. I've got to take care