conquered the desires, the desires conquered me.  At any rate, I couldn't
come to you to encumber you, to be a drag upon you.  I felt that I must
have something to offer you.  I've got a plan, Maude, for my life, for
our lives.  I don't know whether I can make a success of it, and you are
entitled to decline to take the risk.  I don't fool myself that it will
be all plain sailing, that there won't be difficulties and
discouragements.  But I'll promise to try." 

"What is it?" she asked, in a low voice.  "I--I think I know." 

"Perhaps you have guessed it.  I am willing to try to devote what is left
of my life to you and to them.  And I need your help.  I acknowledge it.
Let us try to make more possible for them the life we have missed." 

"The life we have missed!" she said. 

"Yes.  My mistakes, my failures, have brought us to the edge of a
precipice.  We must prevent, if we can, those mistakes and failures for
them.  The remedy for unhappy marriages, for all mistaken, selfish and
artificial relationships in life is a preventive one.  My plan is that we