The Girl on the Boat - Penn State University

in the mental scale. This morning, however, the devotees
of this pastime were apparently under proper restraint,
for the deck was empty.
“This is jolly,” he said sitting down beside the girl
and drawing a deep breath of satisfaction.
“Yes, I love this deck. It’s so peaceful.”
“It’s the only part of the ship where you can be reasonably
sure of not meeting stout men in flannels and
nautical caps. An ocean voyage always makes me wish
that I had a private yacht.”
“It would be nice.”
“A private yacht,” repeated Sam, sliding a trifle closer.
“We would sail about, visiting desert islands which lay
like jewels in the heart of tropic seas.”
“We?”
“Most certainly we. It wouldn’t be any fun if you were
not there.”
“That’s very complimentary.”
“Well, it wouldn’t. I’m not fond of girls as a rule ….”
“Oh, aren’t you?”
“No!” said Sam decidedly. It was a point which he
P. G. Wodehouse
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wished to make clear at the outset. “Not at all fond. My
friends have often remarked upon it. A palmist once
told me that I had one of those rare spiritual natures
which cannot be satisfied with substitutes but must seek
and seek till they find their soul-mate. When other men
all round me were frittering away their emotions in idle
flirtations which did not touch their deeper natures, I
was … I was … well, I wasn’t, if you see what I mean.”
“Oh, you wasn’t … weren’t?”
“No. Some day I knew I should meet the only girl I
could possibly love, and then I would pour out upon
her the stored-up devotion of a lifetime, lay an unblemished
heart at her feet, fold her in my arms and say ‘At
last!’”
“How jolly for her. Like having a circus all to oneself.”
“Well, yes,” said Sam after a momentary pause.
“When I was a child I always thought that that would
be the most wonderful thing in the world.”
“<strong>The</strong> most wonderful thing in the world is love, a
pure and consuming love, a love which ….”