morsefully sorry,
when the day had fully come. He would not have thought that Arethusa
would be inclined to view such an episode as she so very evidently had.
And yet, on further intensive consideration, he realized that if he had
stopped beforehand to give any real thought to it, at all, he might
have known that she would take it in just the way she had.

There was nothing really horrid about Mr. Bennet. It is to be doubted
if he had ever had a really horrid thought in all his life; but he
could not help looking like a man in a collar advertisement and he was
born with his manner. He was not himself to blame if young and
impressionable things feminine insisted upon falling in love with him.
Who could blame him for accepting such admiration and attempting, at
times, what might be considered as a slight return? Most of us like to
be admired. Mr. Bennet's biggest fault was that he was a little
selfish; right now, it was no larger cloud on the horizon of his
perfection than might be compared to the palm of one's hand, but owing
to all this admiration he so constantly received, and the fact that he
did not have to exert himself very much to make a cause for popularity,
the little cloud was growing.

But Mr. Bennet was really almost as unhappy over this affair as
Arethusa herself, after he went over it again very carefully, in the
garish light of perspective. Yet he had thought of course he would be
permitted to explain at his call this afternoon; that is, explain in so
far as he could explain. Which would surely make it all right. He was
even prepared to explain to Ross, if it was necessary, and although Mr.
Bennet realized that it would not put him in such a very good light in
the eyes of Arethusa's father, he felt that Mr. Worthington might
understand. And to explain to Ross and to appear so undignified as he
was bound to appear, would have been a very hard thing for Mr. Bennet
to do, but he was quite prepared to do it; so anxious he was to
straighten out this very Miserable Business.

Then Mr. Bennet, as he sorrowfully walked in all the bravery of a most
careful toilette made especially for this important call, remembered
the little air of dignity with which Arethusa had mentioned marriage.
He was genuinely fond of Arethusa. If it had not been for that little
cloud of selfishness, no bigger than the palm of one's hand, which was
keeping him so much in love with Mr. Bennet, he might have been really
in love with her. B