I wanted you to think
that I was a crack shot--and so I made myself be a
crack shot."
"That is very interesting," she murmured. They did
not seem to be walking quite so fast.
"Don't think I want to brag about myself," he went on.
"I don't fancy myself--in that way. I'm not specially
proud of doing things--it's the things themselves
that I care for. If some men had made a great fortune,
they would be conceited about it. Well, I'm not.
What I'm keen about is the way to use that fortune so
that I will get the most out of it--the most happiness,
I mean. The thing to do is to make up your mind carefully
what it is that you want, and to put all your power and
resolution into getting it--and the rest is easy enough.
I don't think there's anything beyond a strong man's reach,
if he only believes enough in himself."
"But aren't you confusing two things?" she queried.
The subject apparently interested her. "To win one's
objects by sheer personal force is one thing. To merely
secure them because one's purse is longer than other
people's--that's quite another matter."
He smiled grimly at her. "Well, I'll combine the two,"
he said.
"Then I suppose you will be altogether irresistible,"
she said, lightly. "There will be no pheasants left for
other people at all."
"I don't mind being chaffed," he told her, with gravity.
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