for hard
work; I was born with brains; I have considerable capacity for
organisation----"

"Some people have a good conceit of themselves!" said Dolly.

"_Every_ one should have," replied Robin with conviction. "And," he
added, "most of us have. _I_ have--_you_ have!"

"Oh!" said Dolly indignantly.

"But a man may have a good conceit of himself," Robin continued
soothingly, "without being what the world calls conceited. Modesty
consists not in taking a low estimate of one's own worth, but in
refraining from the expectation that the world will take a high one."

Dolly nodded gravely.

"I see," she said. "I didn't know you meant that. Yes, there is
something in what you say."

"I thank you," said Robin. "It is very helpful to me to get this
courteous hearing from you; for to tell you the truth," he added rather
explosively, "I find it a very, very great effort to speak to you like
this at all. You see, I am talking of things that go right to the centre
of the human heart--things that a man never speaks of to a man, and only
once to a woman. It has to be done, but it is hard, hard!"

He drew a long breath, in a manner which made the sofa tremble; and
Dolly suddenly realised the height and depth of the barrier of reserve
and pride that this grave and undemonstrative man had had to break down
before he could offer her the view of his inmost soul to which he
considered that she was entitled. She felt a sudden pang of awe, mingled
with compassionate sympathy. She was not given to wearing her heart on
her sleeve herself.

"Well," continued Robin, evidently relieved by this little confession,
"those are my assets. On the other hand, I have no money, no position--I
will not say no birth, for I come of good, honest stock--and my
prospects are at present in the clouds. But to one type of wife all that
would not matter a scrap. There are two types, you know--two types of
_good_ wife, that is."

"I would have given worlds," says Dolly here, "just to have said 'Oh!'
or something; but for the life of me I couldn't help asking what the
two types were."

"The first," said Robin, "is the wife who loves her husband because she
is proud of him, because he is successful and powerful, and people
admire him; and not because she has any conception of or sympathy with
the qualities which have made him what he is. To such a one the husband
must come with his reputation ready made, and they will enjoy it
together. The other t