His sense of escape--which grew upon him--was always tempered by a keen respect for the lady's disinterestedness, and those high ideals which must have led her--for what else could ?--to prefer the German professor, who had so soon become decrepit, to himself.

But the result of it all had been that the period of highest susceptibility and effervescence had passed by, leaving him still unmarried.

Since then he had had many women-friends, following harmlessly a score of 'chance desires'! But he had never wanted to marry anybody; and the idea of surrendering the solitude and independence of his pleasant existence had now become distasteful to him.

Renan in some late book speaks of his life as 'cette charmante promenade a travers la realite.' Farrell could have adopted much the same words about his own--until the war.

The war had made him think a good deal, like Sarratt; though the thoughts of a much travelled, epicurean man of the world were naturally very different from those of the young soldier.