Johnson has rightly said that the incommodities of a single life are
necessary and certain, but those of a conjugal state are avoidable.
Excellent philosophy. Sooner than get married, my dear madame, I would
walk in the wilderness, conversing with no man; I would fly to the
fastnesses of Tibet; I would make of myself a hermit in a cave that was
strongly barricaded. I would eschew tobacco. I would pay, to the
uttermost farthing, any bachelor tax imposed by the State.'

'Do you so utterly abhor the idea of marriage?' I asked, profoundly
astonished.

'I do,' said William.

A strange sound broke on our ears. It seemed to come through the
keyhole, and resembled the contemptuous sniff with which Elizabeth
always expresses incredulity. But, of course, it couldn't have been
that.

As I have said, Elizabeth never listens at doors.




CHAPTER VII

(William--although he has a great regard for Pepys--does not himself
keep a diary. From time to time, however, he 'chronicles the
outstanding events in his career,' as he puts it. The following is one
of William's 'chronicles,' which shows more knowledge than I have of
the happenings in this chapter.)