Croquetisaprettygameoutofdoors，andchessisdelightfulinadrawing—room。Battledoreandshuttlecockandhunt—the—slipperhavealsotheirattractions。Proverbsaregood，andcrossquestionswithcrookedanswersmaybemadeveryamusing。Butnoneofthesegamesareequaltothegameoflove—making——providingthattheplayerscanbequitesurethatthereshallbenoheartinthematter。Anytouchofheartnotonlydestroysthepleasureofthegame，butmakestheplayerawkwardandincapableandrobshimofhisskill。Andthusitisthattherearemanypeoplewhocannotplaythegameatall。Adeficiencyofsomeneededinternalphysicalstrengthpreventstheownersoftheheartfromkeepingapropercontroloveritsvalves，andthusemotionsetsin，andthepulsesareaccelerated，andfeelingsupervenes。Forsuchaonetoattemptthegameoflove—making，isasthoughyourfriendwiththegoutshouldinsistonplayingcroquet。Asenseoftheridiculous，ifnothingelse，shouldineithercasedetertheafflictedonefromtheattempt。
TherewasnosuchabsurditywithourfriendMrsDobbsBroughtonandConwayDalrymple。Theirvalvesandpulseswereallright。Theycouldplaythegamewithouttheslightestdangerofanyinconvenientresult；——ofanyinconvenientresult，thatis，asregardedtheirownfeelings。Blindpeoplecannotseeandstupidpeoplecannotunderstand——anditmightbethatMrDobbsBroughton，beingbothblindandstupidinsuchmatters，mightperceivesomethingoftheplayingofthegameandnotknowthatitwasonlyagameofskill。
WhenIsaythatasregardedthesetwoloverstherewasnothingoflovebetweenthem，andthatthegamewasthereforesofarinnocent，Iwouldnotbeunderstoodasassertingthatthesepeoplehadnoheartsintheirbosoms。MrsDobbsBroughtonprobablylovedherhusbandinasensible，humdrumway，feelinghimtobeabore，knowinghimtobevulgar，awarethatheoftentookagooddealmorewinethanwasgoodforhim，andthathewasalmostasuneducatedasahog。Yetshelovedhim，andshowedherlovebytakingcarethatheshouldhavethingsfordinnerwhichhelikedtoeat。Butinthisalonethereweretobefoundnoneofthecharmsofafeveredexistence，andtherefore，MrsDobbsBroughton，requiringthosecharmsforhercomfort，playedherlittlegamewithConwayDalrymple。
AndasregardedtheartisthimselfletnoreaderpresumehimtohavebeenheartlessbecauseheflirtedwithMrsDobbsBroughton。Doubtlesshewillmarrysomeday，andwillhavealargefamilyforwhichhewillworkhard，andwillmakeagoodhusbandtosomestoutladywhowillbecarefulinlookingafterhislinen。Butonthepresentoccasionhefellintosomeslighttroubleinspiteoftheinnocenceofhisgame。Ashequittedhisfriend’sroomheheardthehall—doorslammedheavily；thentherewasaquicksteponthestairs，andonthelanding—placeabovethefirstflighthemetthemasterofthehouse，somewhatflurried，asitseemed，andnotlookingcomfortable，eitherasregardedhispersonorhistemper。’ByGeorge，he’sbeendrinking！’Conwaysaidtohimself，afterthefirstglance。NowitcertainlywasthecasethatDobbsBroughtonwouldsometimesdrinkatimproperhours。
’Whatthedevilareyoudoinghere？’saidDobbsBroughtontohisfriendtheartist。’You’realwayshere。You’rehereadoosedsightmorethanI