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Page 23
Mr. Medlicott with difficulty restrained himself from interrupting
and the Russian went on.
"The situation of betrothed is altogether different: in it there
have merely been promises exchanged, promises, for the most part,
which no man or woman can honestly engage with any certainty to
keep, because feeling toward the other is not within his or her
control--both are promising upon a sentiment, not a reality."
"I totally disagree with you," Eustace Medlicott answered angrily,
"when men and women make promises to one another they should have
wills strong enough to keep them."
"For what sensible reason?" Count Roumovski asked. "In a case
where the happiness of both is involved, and where no damage has
been incurred by either--"
Mr. Medlicott clasped his hands convulsively but he did not reply--so
the Russian went on:
"Surely, you must see that a woman should be free to marry--that
is, to give herself and her power to become a mother where she
loves--not to be forced to bestow these sacred gifts when her
spirit is unwilling--just because she has made the initial mistake
of affiancing herself to a man, often through others' influence,
who she discovers afterward is distasteful to her. Cannot you
realize that it is wise for himself as well as for her that this
man release her, before a life of long misery begins for them
both?"
Mr. Medlicott never analyzed reasons, and never listened to other
people's logic, and if he had any of his own he was too angry to
use it. He was simply conscious now that a foreigner had insulted
him and appeared to have stolen the affections of his betrothed,
and his sacred calling precluded all physical retaliation--which,
at the moment, was the only kind that would have given him any
satisfaction. He prepared to stalk furiously from the room after
he should receive an answer to an all-important question.
"The whole thing is disgraceful," he said, "and I shall inform
Miss Rawson's uncle and aunt of your highly insulting words to me,
that they may guard her from further importunity upon your part.
But I should like to know, in fairness, how far you are stating
you have been able to persuade my fiancee to agree to your view?"
"I am sorry you should have become so heated and angry," Count
Roumovski returned, "because it stops all sensible discussion. I
deeply regret having been forced to inflict pain upon you, but if
you would give yourself time to think calmly you would see that,
however unfortunate the fact may be for you of Miss Rawson's
affections having become fixed on me--these things are no one's
fault and beyond human control--Miss Rawson has left the breaking
off of her engagement to you in my hands, and has decided that she
desires to marry me, as I desire to marry her, as soon as she is
free."
"I refuse to listen to another word," Mr. Medlicott flashed, "and
I warn you, sir, that I will give no such freedom at your bidding--on
the contrary, I shall have my marriage with Miss Rawson
solemnized immediately, and try, if there is a word of truth in
your preposterous assertion that she loves you, to bring her back
to a proper sense of her duty to me and to God, repressing her
earthly longings by discipline and self-denial, the only true
methods for the saving of her soul. And I and her natural
guardians, her uncle and her aunt, will take care that you never
see her again."
Count Roumovski raised his eyebrows once more and prepared to
light a cigar.
"It is a pity you will not discuss this peacefully, sir," he said,
"or apparently even think about it yourself with common sense. If
you would do so, you would begin by asking yourself what God gave
certain human beings certain attributes for," he blew a few whiffs
of smoke, "whether to be wasted and crushed out by the intolerance
of others,--or whether to be tended and grow to the highest, as
flowers grow with light and air and water."
"What has that got to do with the case?" asked Mr. Medlicott,
tapping his foot uneasily.
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