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extremely chic conception would have ravished her. Bindon had
consulted Elizabeth's father before presenting himself in this garb--he
was one of those men who always invite criticism of their costume--and
Mwres had pronounced him all that the heart of woman could desire. But
the affair of the hypnotist proved that his knowledge of the heart of
woman was incomplete.
Bindon's idea of marrying had been formed some little time before Mwres
threw Elizabeth's budding womanhood in his way. It was one of Bindon's
most cherished secrets that he had a considerable capacity for a pure
and simple life of a grossly sentimental type. The thought imparted a
sort of pathetic seriousness to the offensive and quite inconsequent and
unmeaning excesses, which he was pleased to regard as dashing
wickedness, and which a number of good people also were so unwise as to
treat in that desirable manner. As a consequence of these excesses, and
perhaps by reason also of an inherited tendency to early decay, his
liver became seriously affected, and he suffered increasing
inconvenience when travelling by aëroplane. It was during his
convalescence from a protracted bilious attack that it occurred to him
that in spite of all the terrible fascinations of Vice, if he found a
beautiful, gentle, good young woman of a not too violently intellectual
type to devote her life to him, he might yet be saved to Goodness, and
even rear a spirited family in his likeness to solace his declining
years. But like so many experienced men of the world, he doubted if
there were any good women. Of such as he had heard tell he was outwardly
sceptical and privately much afraid.
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