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Zuleika Dobson; Or, An Oxford Love Story
·
Sir Max Beerbohm
190
The
Duke
wandered
down
the
High,
taking
counsel
with
himself.
He
was
ashamed
of
having
so
utterly
forgotten
the
mischief
he
had
wrought
at
large.
At
dawn
he
had
vowed
to
undo
it.
Undo
it
he
must.
But
the
task
was
not
a
simple
one
now.
If
he
could
say
“Behold,
I
take
back
my
word.
I
spurn
Miss
Dobson,
and
embrace
life,”
it
was
possible
that
his
example
would
suffice.
But
now
that
he
could
only
say
“Behold,
I
spurn
Miss
Dobson,
and
will
not
die
for
her,
but
I
am
going
to
commit
suicide,
all
the
same,”
it
was
clear
that
his
words
would
carry
very
little
force.
Also,
he
saw
with
pain
that
they
placed
him
in
a
somewhat
ludicrous
position.
His
end,
as
designed
yesterday,
had
a
large
and
simple
grandeur.
So
had
his
recantation
of
it.
But
this
new
compromise
between
the
two
things
had
a
fumbled,
a
feeble,
an
ignoble
look.
It
seemed
to
combine
all
the
disadvantages
of
both
courses.
It
stained
his
honour
without
prolonging
his
life.
Surely,
this
was
a
high
price
to
pay
for
snubbing
Zuleika...
Yes,
he
must
revert
without
more
ado
to
his
first
scheme.
He
must
die
in
the
manner
that
he
had
blazoned
forth.
And
he
must
do
it
with
a
good
grace,
none
knowing
he
was
not
glad;
else
the
action
lost
all
dignity.
True,
this
was
no
way
to
be
a
saviour.
But
only
by
not
dying
at
all
could
he
have
set
a
really
potent
example....
He
remembered
the
look
that
had
come
into
Oover’s
eyes
just
now
at
the
notion
of
his
unfaith.
Perhaps
he
would
have
been
the
mock,
not
the
saviour,
of
Oxford.
Better
dishonour
than
death,
maybe.
But,
since
die
he
must,
he
must
die
not
belittling
or
tarnishing
the
name
of
Tanville-Tankerton.
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