e desire, Propinquity furnishes an object at random.
Imagination does all the rest."

"Just so, Jim. I am glad to find you again capable of such lucid and
exhaustive analysis. But how about what is called _falling_ in love,
when the wild ass has not been craving to have his void filled up at
all, but is suddenly brought down unawares by an Amazonian arrow?"

"He was no less a donkey that he didn't know it, and it only comes
harder for him. The fool ought to have been better acquainted with his
own interior condition; then he might have eased his descent to his
royal thistle, secured his repast or gone without it, and got back to
his stable with a whole skin. Otherwise it is just the same. The heart
is an idiot baby, Robert: it feeds on pap and thinks it is guzzling
nectar on Olympus."

"Exactly, James; exactly. As you say, it is our fertile fancy that does
it all. You and I can conjure up women far more charming than we ever
met on brick or carpet. If we only had the raw material and knew how to
work it up, we could beat these flesh and blood girls off the field
before breakfast. Their merits and attractions are mainly such as we
generously invest them with; and often they take a mean advantage of our
kindness."

I glanced at him sideways, and he flushed and winced. "I would not
derogate from women, nor rate myself so high. I meant only that we
imagine--well, monstrous heaps of nonsense. For instance, we often fancy
that they care for us when they don't--and whose fault is that but ours?
There's a deal of rot talked about lords of creation--when a man isn't
able to be lord of himself. O, women are very well in their way: I've
nothing against them. They are just as good as we--better, very likely;
and wiser, for they don't idealize us as we do them."

"Yes, but this idealizing faculty is a very useful one to have. I see
you must have found a Blowsalinda on some of these hill farms:--why,
man, you're as red as her father's beets. I congratulate you, Jim: I do,
heartily. As you say, the tender passion is merely a spark struck by the
flint of Opportunity on the steel of Desire; and for the rest, you can
enrich her practical native virtues with the golden hues of your
imagination. She'll suit you just as well as any of these proud cityfied
damsels--after you've sent her a term or two to boarding school; and
she'll be more content to stay up here than the city girl would."

I paused to view my work, and was satisfied. T