‘Why naturally, dear, you take an interest in my City work.’
‘Yes, sir, but do you take as keen an interest in my housekeeping?’
‘Perhaps I have been a little thoughtless.’
‘No, no, dear, you haven’t. You are always full of consideration. But I have noticed it with mother, and with others also. The husband pulls out his cheque-book at the end of the week or month, and he says, “Well, this is rather more than we can afford,” or “This is less than I expected,” but he never really takes any interest in his wife’s efforts to keep things nice on a little. He does not see it with her eyes and try to realise her difficulties. Oh, I wish I could express myself better, but I know that the interest is one-sided.’
‘I think what you say is quite right. I’ll try to remember that. How shall we enter it upon our list?’
‘That Interests should be mutual.’
‘Quite right. I have it down. Well, any more points?’
‘It is your turn.’
‘Well, there is this, and I feel that it is just the holiest thing in matrimony, and its greatest justification—that love should never degenerate into softness, that each should consciously stimulate the better part of the other and discourage the worse, that there should be a discipline in our life, and that we should brace each other up to a higher ideal. The love that says, “I know it is wrong, but I love him or her so much that I can’t refuse,” is a poor sort of love for the permanent use of married life. The self-respect which refuses to let the most lofty ideal of love down by an inch is a far nobler thing, and it wears better too.’
‘How will you express all that?’