It turns her head in the beginning and sours her afterwards." Sylvia turned at that and regarded him, a faint light of mockery in her eyes.

"What a lot you know about women!" she remarked.
He laughed in a way she did not understand.

"If I had a wife," he said, "I'd make her happy, but not on those lines." "I thought you had one," said Sylvia.
He met her eyes with a sudden mastery which made her flinch in spite of herself.

"No," he said, "I've only a make-believe at present.

Not very satisfying of course; but better than nothing.
There is always the hope that she may some day turn into the real thing to comfort me." His words went into silence.