CONCERNING THE PERFECT WOMAN, AND THEREFORE CONCERNING ALL FEMININE READERS As I once more got under way, my thoughts slowly loitered back to the theme which had been occupying them before I dropped asleep.

What was my working hypothesis of the Perfect Woman, towards whom I was thus leisurely strolling?
She might be defined, I reflected, as The Woman Who Is Worthy Of Us; but the improbability which every healthily conceited young man must feel of ever finding such a one made the definition seem a little unserviceable.

Or, if you prefer, since we seem to be dealing with impossibles, we might turn about and more truly define her as The Woman of Whom We are Worthy, for who dare say that she exists?
If, again, she were defined as the Woman our More Fortunate Friend Marries, her unapproachableness would rob the definition of any practical value.

Other generalisations proving equally unprofitable, I began scientifically to consider in detail the attributes of the supposititious paragon,--attributes of body and mind and heart.

This was soon done; but again, as I thus conned all those virtues which I was to expect united in one unhappy woman, the result was still unsatisfying, for I began to perceive that it was really not perfection that I was in search of.