reputation
of cynic
had been
as easy to
sustain as
any other.
In truth
he had had
several
delightful
friendships
with women
who would
have been
pleased to
marry him
if he had
asked them
– but he
had not
asked
them. He
had once
got nearly
as far as
an
announcement
in the
Morning
Post, but
the girl
did not
want to
live in
Pekin and
he did not
want to
live at
Tunbridge
Wells,
mutual
reluctances
which
proved
impossible
to
dislodge.
So far as
he had had
experience
