He was particularly attractive to women, who liked his strong will and
depth of feeling, his assertive manner and that feeling of trust that he
inspired. Women always know when a man will not treat them badly.
Teddy's mother, his first wife, he had really married out of pity.
When she died everyone regarded it as a tragedy except himself. He still
worshipped his mother, whose little miniature he kept always by him, and
he had always fancied that Edith resembled her. This was simply an _idee
d'amoureux_, for there was no resemblance. His mother, according to the
miniature, had the dark hair and innocent expression that were the
fashion at the time, while Edith was fair, with rather dark eyebrows,
grey eyes and the mouth and chin characteristic of Burne-Jones's and
Rossetti's pictures. But though she might be in appearance a
Burne-Jones, she was very modern. His favourite little photograph of her
that he had shown, in his moment of despair, to Dulcie, showed a
charming face, sensuous yet thoughtful, under a large hat. She had fur
up to her chin, and was holding a muff; it was a snapshot taken the
winter before they had parted.
Aylmer worshipped these two women: his dead mother and the living woman
whom he had never given up entirely.
Pages:
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182