As M. Linders came up the
narrow pathway she ran towards him to the utmost extent of her
tether, uttering little joyous inarticulate cries, and
bubbling over with the happy instinctive laughter of a child
whose consciousness is bounded by its glad surroundings.
When, in moments of pseudo remorse, which would come upon him
from time to time, it occurred to M. Linders to reflect upon
his misdeeds, and adopt an apologetic tone concerning them, he
was wont to propound a singular theory respecting his life,
averring, in general terms, that it had been spoilt by women,--
a speech more epigrammatic, perhaps, than accurate, since of
the two women who had loved him best, his mother and his wife,
he had broken the heart of the one, and ruined the happiness
of the other. And yet it was not without its grain of meaning,
however false and distorted; for M. Linders, who was not more
consistent than the rest of mankind, had, by some queer
anomaly, along with all his hardness, and recklessness, and
selfishness, a capacity for affection after his own fashion,
and an odd sensitiveness to the praise and blame of those
women whom he cared for and respected which did not originate
merely in vanity and love of applause.
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