"I mean—the Lady Cleone, John. Losing her, I lose all, and success is worse than failure."
"But, sir,—must you lose her?"
"I fear so. Who am I that she should stoop to me among so many? Who am I to expect so great happiness?"
"Sir," said Peterby, shaking his head, "I have never known you doubt yourself or fortune till now!"
"It never occurred to me, John."
"And because of this unshaken confidence in yourself you won the steeplechase, sir—unaided and alone you won for yourself a place in the most exclusive circles in the World of Fashion—without friends or influence you achieved the impossible, because you never doubted."
"Yes, I was very confident, John, but then, you see, I never thought anything impossible—till now."
"And therefore you succeeded, sir. But had you constantly doubted your powers and counted failure even as a possibility, you might still have dreamed of your success—but never achieved it."
"Why then," sighed Barnabas, rising, "it seems that Failure has marked me for her own at last, for never was man fuller of doubt than I."