We are both strong souls, shall we have the strength to conquer outside
things and be really "one eternally"?

Alathea must have been looking at this not an hour or more ago, what did
it make her think of, I wonder?

I determined to ask her to read the whole poem presently, when we should
be sitting together in the afternoon.

It had come on to rain and was a wretched dismal day, I wondered why
Alathea had gone out. Probably she is as restless as I am, and being
free to move, she can express her mood in rapid walking!

I began to plan my course of action.

To go on disturbing her as much as possible-To give her the impression that I once thought her perfection, but that
she herself has disillusioned me, and that I am indifferent to her now.

That I am cynical, but am amused to discuss love in the abstract.

That I have friends who divert me, and that I really only want her to be
a secretary and companion, and that any interest I may show in her is
merely for my own vanity, because she is, to the world, my wife!

If I can only keep this up, and not soften should I see her distressed,
and not weaken or give the show away, I must inevitably win the game,
perhaps sooner than I dare hope!

I felt glad she had not been there, so that I could pull myself
together, and put my armour on, so to speak, before we met.