interpretation of three expressions

[vil]

Dear teachers,

I noted just now in the following brief excerpt of the Maugham’s “Escape” three interesting expressions which focused my attention.

“Roger introduced her to his friends. He gave her lovely jewels. He took her here, there, and everywhere. Their marriage was announced for the immediate future. Roger was very happy. He was comitting a good action and at the same time doing something he had very much a mind to. It is an uncommon situation and it is not surprising if he was a trifle more pleased with himself than was altogether becoming.

Then, on a sudden, he fell out of love. I do not know why. It could hardly have been that he grew tired of her conversation, for she had never had any conversation. …He became acutely conscious that Ruth Barlow had made up her mind to marry him and he swore a solemn oath that nothing would induce him to marry Ruth Barlow. But he was in a quandrary. Now that he was in possession of his senses he saw with clearness the sort of woman he had to deal with and he was aware that, if he asked her to rlease him, she would (in her appealing way) assess her wonded feelings at an immoderate high figure. Besides, it is always awkward for a man to jilt a woman. People are apt to think he has behaved badly.”

Would you be kind enough to revise my interpretation of each one of them?

1. .. he had very much a mind to.. = .. he wished very much to..

2. He fell out of love. = He stopped loving her; antonym for “He fell in love.”

3. she would assess her wounded feelings at an immoderately high figure. = she would make him pay much for jilting her.

Thank you for your efforts.

Regards

V

[Raymott]

Dear teachers,

I noted just now in the following brief excerpt of the Maugham’s “Escape” three interesting expressions which focused my attention.

“Roger introduced her to his friends. He gave her lovely jewels. He took her here, there, and everywhere. Their marriage was announced for the immediate future. Roger was very happy. He was committing? a good action and at the same time doing something he had very much a mind to. It is an uncommon situation and it is not suprising if he was a trifle more pleased with himself than was altogether becoming.

Then, on a sudden, he fell out of love. I do not know why. It could hardly have been that he grew tired of her conversation, for she had never had any conversation. …He became acutely conscious that Ruth Barlow had made up her mind to marry him and he swore a solemn oath that nothing would induce him to marry Ruth Barlow. But he was in a quandrary. Now that he was in possession of his senses he saw with clearness the sort of woman he had to deal with and he was aware that, if he asked her to rlease him, she would (in her appealing way) assess her wonded feelings at an immoderate high figure. Besides, it is always awkward for a man to jilt a woman. People are apt to think he has behaved badly.”

Would you be kind enough to revise my interpretation of each one of them?

1. .. he had very much a mind to.. = .. he wished very much to..

2. He fell out of love. = He stopped loving her; antonym for “He fell in love.”

3. she would assess her wounded feelings at an immoderately high figure. = she would make him pay much for jilting her.

Thank you for your efforts.

Regards

V

1. "Having a mind to do something" means thinking positively about doing it. It's also common to "have half a mind to do something", which means it seems like a good idea, but you're not really sure whether you'll do it. In this case, he has "very much a mind to do it", so he is very keen to do it.
Do you mean "committing" for "omitting".
2. fell out of love - yes, as you say.
3. she would (in her appealing way) assess her wounded feelings at an immoderate high figure. Yes, that's how I read it.

[vil]

Hi Raymott,

Thank you for your corroboration, as well as for your further information and relevant correction.

Regards

V.