But at last he forced himself to meet truth with
truth, cutting what crudity he could from his letter:
"You ask me what I think of you; but that question should properly
come from me. What do _you_ think of a man who exhorts and warns a
woman to stand fast, and then stands dumb at the first impact of
temptation?
"A sight for gods and men--that man! Is there any use for me to
stammer out trite phrases of self-contempt? The fact remains that I
am unfit to advise, criticise, or condemn anybody for anything; and
it's high time I realised it.
"If words of commendation, of courage, of kindly counsel, are
needed by anybody in this world, I am not the man to utter them.
What a hypocrite must I seem to you! I who sat there beside you
preaching platitudes in strong self-complacency, instructing you
how morally edifying it is to be good and unhappy.
"Then, what happened? I don't know exactly; but I'm trying to be
honest, and I'll tell you what I think happened:
"You are--you; I am--I; and we are still those same two people who
understood neither the impulse that once swept us together, nor the
forces that tore us apart--ah, more than that! we never understood
each other! And we do not now.
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