removal

himself as a victim of circumstances. He will gradually beginto blame for his tattooing a wild impulse, a drunken spell,the influence of a war- period or a navy- environment or awicked comrade. He will exhibit his tattoos to all who willlook and listen. He will call for their denunciation of thetattoo- art and for their pity. He will assure his onlookersand listeners that he would pay anything to have his tattoosremoved. Tell him that nowadays one can safely have tattoosremoved, and he will become uneasy rather than delighted.

For his pleasure is not in removal but in his self- pitying,self- glorifying talk of removal. If he does have his designs re-moved he will sneak into a tattooer's shop at some later dateto order fresh designs, that he may have a renewed opportun-ity to blame an impulse, a drunken spell, a bad chum, that hemay call once more for pity of his fellow- men, to relive inimagination and talk the old pain- pleasure of the operation,be it the acquirement of a tattoo or its removal.

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