"No, I'm not happy," sighed Barnabas, "for oh! John Peterby, what
shall it profit a man though he gain the whole world, and lose his
soul!"
"Ah, sir--you mean--?"
"I mean--the Lady Cleone, John. Losing her, I lose all, and success
is worse than failure."
"But, sir,--must you lose her?"
"I fear so. Who am I that she should stoop to me among so many? Who
am I to expect so great happiness?"
"Sir," said Peterby, shaking his head, "I have never known you doubt
yourself or fortune till now!"
"It never occurred to me, John."
"And because of this unshaken confidence in yourself you won the
steeplechase, sir--unaided and alone you won for yourself a place in
the most exclusive circles in the World of Fashion--without friends
or influence you achieved the impossible, because you never doubted."
"Yes, I was very confident, John, but then, you see, I never thought
anything impossible--till now."
"And therefore you succeeded, sir. But had you constantly doubted
your powers and counted failure even as a possibility, you might
still have dreamed of your success--but never achieved it."
"Why then," sighed Barnabas, rising, "it seems that Failure has
marked me for her own at last, for never was man fuller of doubt
than I."